Gunpowder Trade Association records, 1804-1912, bulk: 1872-1903
Part of collection: E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company nineteenth century records (0500-I)
Dates
- Creation: 1804-1912
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1872-1903
Historical Note
The Gunpowder Trade Association was organized by the nation's major powder companies in April 1872. The aims of the association, as stated in the agenda for its first meeting, were: (1) regulate the powder market in order to avoid overproduction, (2) put an end to cutthroat competition and price wars, (3) establish sales quotas and (4) gain control over those companies that did not join the association.
Lammot du Pont (1831-1884) of E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. was the first president of the Gunpowder Trade Association. He initiated a period of consolidation by establishing a policy whereby the DuPont Company would lend capital to its competitors or alternatively acquire their stock or other assets as a way of forcing them to adhere to Association policies. In this way, the DuPont Company expanded and consolidated its control of the powder market.
The members of the Gunpowder Trade Association met quarterly to establish policy. However, a Council on Prices met weekly, or at the call of the president, to hear complaints of violations of the price schedule.
The Gunpowder Trade Association continued to operate until 1903 when the DuPont Company embarked on a vertical integration strategy and concluded that it no longer needed to work through the association.
Scope and Contents
In this series, minutes of general meetings, advisory committees, and board of trade (1872-1903) describe the Gunpowder Trade Association's policies and procedures. These governing bodies usually included representatives from E. I. du Pont de Nemours, Hazard Powder Company, Laflin & Rand, Oriental Powder Mills, Austin Powder Company, American Powder Company, and Miami Powder Company. According to the records, as of 1872, these firms controlled more than 72% of the powder market.
Agreements, contracts, and financial records describe the process by which prices were set, market divided, and penalties imposed on firms that sought to cut prices to enlarge their market shares. Correspondence from major powder producers describes the difficulties that the Association sometimes had in enforcing its agreements and the process by which the DuPont Company used its control over enforcement to drive competitors from the marketplace. The papers show that the DuPont Company's New York sales agent, Furman L. Kneeland (1824-1884), played a central role in determining Association policy.
The series is organized into the following sub-series: A. Advisory Committee; B. Agencies and agents; C. Agreements and contracts; D. Board of Trade, minutes of monthly meetings; E. Miscellaneous correspondence to and from Edward Greene, secretary of the Advisory Committee; F. Explosions in powder mills; G. Finance; H. Meeting minutes; I. Litigation; J. Prices; K. Production; L. Real estate; M. Rules and regulations; N. Sales; O. Special Committee reports, A. W. Higgins, secretary; P. Syndicate; Q. Transportation, concerning freight rates; and R. Miscellaneous papers of gunpowder companies.
Extent
From the Collection: 478.3 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
From the Collection: French
Additional Description
Access Restrictions
No restrictions on access; this collection is open for research.
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Manuscripts and Archives Repository
