John Blackshoe Sends: Serendipity History – “History is written by the winner”*

The Nation Makers
Howard Pyle
Author’s photo, Brandywine Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, PA. 2025.

Our 1876 Centennial Celebration; our horrendous defeat which spoiled that celebration; and the victors’ celebrations which continue 150 years later.

*Attributed variously to Napoleon or Winston Churchill, but a recurring thought over many centuries, so they may have said it, but likely were not the first to do so. Churchill noted he would be well regarded by history, for he intended to write it… and did so.

Part 1 of 3 - Our 1876 Centennial Celebration

Celebrating our Victory!

Our Revolution’s first shots were fired April 19, 1775. The war ended with the Peace of Paris signed September 3, 1783 confirming our victorious liberation from British colonial status after a long and arduous struggle. That was nearly a year after the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, VA on October 19, 1782 where Lord Cornwallis claimed to be indisposed and skipped the surrender ceremony. The United States of America had truly won over the most powerful country in the world at that time, and proudly recorded that in our historical records

Since we had declared our Independence on July 4, 1776, we chose that date to celebrate as our official “Independence Day."

0ne hundred years later, now 150 years ago, our great nation prepared to celebrate the Centennial of our Independence Day. Just like today, with parades, fireworks, and public festivities. The Philadelphia “Centennial Exhibition” had opened on May 10th hosting nearly a million visitors by the end of June.

1876 Centennial Exhibition- opening day, attended by 160,000 people!
Source

One of the most impressive parts of the Exhibition was the 14 acre “Machinery Hall” highlighting our industrial accomplishments. A 1,400 horsepower two cylinder Corliss steam engine with a 56 ton flywheel provided line shaft and steam power to 800 exhibits in the building. Agriculture, historical items, domestic goods and all sorts of other interests were featured in the 60,000 exhibits under a total of 75 acres of enclosed space. We were truly a leading world power. “The late unpleasantness” which had ended April 9, 1865 had faded, and the nation was reunified, and the Centennial was celebrated North and South.

Portion of the Machinery Hall, with the Corliss engine in the back, and new locomotives right foreground, steam launches front left.
Source

Military technology was also on display, and the Army Ordnance Department had an exhibit where workers made dummy .45-70 cartridges with a special headstamp, passed out as souvenirs.

A “draw set” showing detailed steps in making a cartridge in 1876.
Source

A “draw set” showing detailed steps in making a cartridge in 1876. For nerdy details on the centennial cartridge sets, and a view of the production line set up to make them, chase that Source above.

These were made with soft copper cases which later experienced extraction problems, possibly aggravated by verdigris build up from carrying in leather belts. The soft copper cases were later partially blamed for extraction problems in a famous battle.

To be continued ...