People of Springfield Armory

From 1794 to until its closure in 1968, Springfield Armory was operated by a highly-skilled and diverse workforce. Because of its nature as a high-technology manufacturer for most of its existence, the Armory acted as a magnet for those people interested in cutting-edge engineering, manufacturing, and experimentation. As a state of war ebbed and flowed throughout American history, so too did the number of workers employed at the U.S. Armory at Springfield. Since funding was increased with a declaration of war, workers were brought in at the start, trained, and, as peace drew near, released into the private sector with sought-after skills. This may have had a direct role in the movement of the "American System of Manufacture" from the U.S. Armories where it was developed, out into private manufacturers, which helped launch the Industrial Revolution.

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