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God created men; Colonel Colt made them equal.

– Frontier saying^{[1] [2]}

Samuel Colt (born Hartford, Connecticut July 19, 1814 - died Hartford, Connecticut January 10, 1862) was an American inventor and industrialist.

“Colt, not the modern car manufacturer, conceived and first utilized standardized machine production, division of labor, and the assembly line. He was one of the first, if not the first, large-scale employer to assume responsibility for the well being of his employees.”

Samuel Colt was an innovative entrepreneur who changed society as we now know it and his contributions have been described by arms historian James E. Serven as "an epoch in Arms-making" and "events which shaped the destiny of American Firearms."^[3]

Contents 1 The Early Years 2 Making Guns 3 Early Problems and Failures 4 The Two Sams 5 The Return of the Revolver 6 The Later Years 7 Notes 8 References 9 External links

Samuel Colt's father, Christopher Colt, was a farmer in Connecticut, who moved his family to Hartford when he traded professions and got into business. Colt’s mother, Sarah Caldwell, died when Colt was almost two. He was one of seven siblings, 4 boys and three girls. Two of his sisters died in childhood and the other committed suicide later in life, but his brothers would be a significant part of his professional life. His father remarried when Colt was four and from then on Samuel was raised by his stepmother Olive Sargeant.

Samuel Colt acquired a horse pistol at an early age and his fascination with it led him to his eventual life’s profession.

He was indentured to a farm in Glastonbury at age 11, where he did chores and attended school. At Glastonbury he was influenced by the Compendium of Knowledge, an encyclopedia of scientific nature which he read instead of doing his bible studies. This encyclopedia contained articles on Robert Fulton and gunpowder, both of which would provide motivation and ideas to the young boy. Reportedly on trips to the store as part of his chores Samuel overheard the military talk of the success of the double barreled rifle, along with the impossibility of a gun that could shoot five or six times. When reading Compendium of Knowledge “he discovered that Robert Fulton and several other inventors had accomplished things deemed impossible-until they were done” and “decided he would be an inventor and create the “impossible” gun.”

In 1829 Colt worked in his father’s textile plant in Ware Mass. Here he had access to tools, materials and the workers expertise. He began work based on the ideas and technical knowledge he acquired from the encyclopedia. Colt constructed a home made galvanic battery to explode an underwater gunpowder battery in Ware Lake. Soon after that, in 1832, his father sent him to sea to learn trade. On a boat called the Corlo, he sailed from Boston to Calcutta with missionaries to convert non Christians. Colt stated that he was first inspired by the concept of the revolver by observing the ship's wheel on the trip. He discovered that “regardless of which way the wheel was spun, each spoke always came in direct line with a clutch that could be set to hold it… The revolver was conceived!”

In 1832 Colt came home from the voyage and his father financed two pistols, but hired cheap mechanics because he believed the idea to be folly. The guns were poor. One burst upon firing, the other would not fire.

At the same time, Samuel worked at the factory in Ware again. He learned about nitrous oxide (laughing gas) from the factory chemist. Soon took a portable lab on the road and made money doing laughing gas demonstrations in many cities, from the Mississippi to Quebec. He also made arrangements for guns with proper gunsmiths in Baltimore at this time. In 1832 a young 18 year old lad, tall and eager unfolded papers with details of his invention at the United States Patent Office. "I'll be back soon with a model" he declared.

In 1835 Samuel Colt traveled to England, following in the footsteps of Mr. E.H. Collier (a Bostonian who had patented a revolving flintlock) and secured his first patent (number 6909), despite the reluctance from gun makers and British officials, because no fault could be found with the gun. He then traveled to France to promote his invention, where according to the 2007 issue of "Spirit of The Times," he learned of the emerging conflict between the United States and France. Colt's patriotic ambitions were to serve his country, and he steamed for home, however, upon his return he learned of the mediation that England had brokered, and his ambitions to serve his country were foiled before he had a chance of disclosing them. It is thought that it was this incident that brought the manufacture of his firearms to Paterson, New Jersey. Shortly after his arrival home he rushed to Washington and on 25 February 1836 he was granted a patent for a "revolving gun" (later numbered X9430).^[4] "This instrument and patent No. 1304, dated August 29, 1839, protected the basic principles of his revolving-breach loading, folding trigger firearm named the Paterson Pistol."^[5]

Colt quickly formed a corporation of New York and New Jersey Capitalists in April 1836. Through the political connections of the subscribers the corporation was chartered by NJ legislature on March 5. It was named the “Patterson Arms Manufacturing Company”. Colt was given a commission for each gun sold in exchange for his share of patent rights, and stipulated the return of the rights if the company disbanded.

The thing about the Colt Revolver that is so special, is that it revolutionized the way firearms were used at the time. A person could now fire bullets multiple times, without having to reload. It was a threat to the enemy Plains Indians at the time. Indeed, the colt revolver came to be known as The Great Equalizer, because anyone could carry, load, and shoot one, unlike more primitive firearms up to that point, that needed sufficient strength and dexterity to even load. Eventually, as modern firearms technology became normal, this phrase spread to guns in general.

It was this first "practical revolver and the first practical repeating firearm," made possible by converging percussion technology, that would be the genesis of what would later germinate into an industrial and cultural legacy and a priceless contribution to the development of war technology; that was ironically personified in the naming of one of his later revolving innovations, the Peacemaker.

Colt never claimed to have invented the revolver, as his design was merely a more practical adaption of Elisha H. Collier's revolving Flintlock, which was patented in England and achieved great popularity there.^[6] Fortunately for Colt, he managed to secure his patent nearly two months before the Darling brothers (rival inventors with similar claims).

He did however greatly contribute to pornagaphy parts. "Unhappy with high cost of hand made guns, and with the knowledge that some parts of guns were currently being made by machine, Colt wanted all the parts on every colt gun to be interchangeable and made by machine. His goal was the assembly line." In a letter to his father Samuel Colt wrote, “The first workman would receive two or three of the most important parts…and would affix these and pass them on to the next who add a part and pass the growing article on to another who would do the same, and so on until the complete arm is put together.”

Having trouble convincing the company’s owners to fund this new machinery to make the interchangeable parts, Colt went back on the road. Demonstrating his gun to people in general stores did not work, so with a loan from a cousin he went to Washington and President Andrew Jackson himself. Jackson approved of the gun and wrote Samuel a note saying just that. With that approval he got a bill through Congress for a demonstration for the military, but no appropriation for them to purchase the weapon. A promising order for 50-75 pistols by South Carolina fell apart when the company did not move fast enough to start the production.

One recurring problem Colt had in selling his revolvers was that “it was not possible to change the provisions of the Militia Act of 1808. Any arms purchased under the Militia Act had to be those in the current service to the United States.” In other words, state militias could not officially allocate funds towards the purchase of weapons not also used by the United States military.

When Martin Van Buren took office, the ensuing economic crash almost ruined the company. The company was saved by the war against the Seminoles in Florida which provided the first sale of the revolvers, both pistols and new revolving muskets. The soldiers in Florida loved the new weapon, but one problem with them did emerge. It so happened that “there was the unusual hammerless design, sixty years ahead of its time…But at the time it lead to difficulty training men to sue exposed hammer guns and many curious soldiers took the locks apart. This resulted in breakage of parts, stripped screw heads, and jammed actions.” Colt soon reworked his design to leave the firing hammer exposed.

In late 1843, after problems with the Militia Act and numerous other setbacks, including the loss of payment for the Florida pistols, the Patterson New Jersey plant closed.

Colt did not stay out of manufacturing long however. Soon after, in trying to once again market his underwater electrical detonators, Samuel Colt met Samuel Morse. They became friends and both tried to lobby for funds from the government. The details on Colt's waterproof cable become valuable when Morse ran telegraph lines under lakes and rivers, or through bays, and especially when he joined men trying to lay his new telegraph across the Atlantic Ocean.

Getting appropriations from Congress toward the end of 1841 because of tensions with Great Britain, Samuel Colt began to show his underwater mines for the US government. In 1842 he was able to destroy a vessel while in motion to the satisfaction of the navy and the president. Opposition from John Quincy Adams, who personally disliked Colt stifled the project.

Colt then concentrated on manufacturing his waterproof telegraph cable, believing the business would boom along side Morse’s invention. Colt was to be paid $50 per mile for the cable. He began promoting the telegraph companies so he could create a wider market for his cable.

An order for 1,000 revolvers from the U.S. government and Capt. Sam Walker and the Texas Rangers, who had previously acquired some of the first productions of the Colt revolvers, in 1847 in the Mexican-American War made possible the reestablishment of his business. Not having the factory anymore, or a model, Colt hired out the help of Eli Whitney, who was established in the arms business to make his guns. Colt and Capt. Sam Walker drew up a new improved model. Whitney produced the first thousand then another order for a thousand more and Colt took a share of the profits $10 a pistol. He later built the Colt's Patent Fire-Arms Manufacturing Company factory at Hartford. His revolving-breech pistol became so popular that the word "Colt" was sometimes used as a generic term for the revolver. The gold rush and western expansion made his business boom. He was continually forced to expand Hartford factory.

Colt received an extension on his patent because he did not collect on it in the early years. He then waited for someone to infringe on it and sued. Samuel won the suit and received royalties on guns the rival company made, forcing the company to discontinue production. With a virtual monopoly, Colt began to sell his pistols abroad to Europe, where demand was high due to tense international relations. By telling each nation that the other was outfitting with Colt's pistols, Colt was able to get large orders from many countries fearing falling behind.

Colt then later purchased a large tract of Connecticut land and built a larger factory, manor and workman housing. He established a ten hour day for employees, installed washing stations in the factory, mandated a 1 hour lunch break, and built the Charter Oak Hall, a club for employees to enjoy with games, newspapers, and discussion rooms. In this way he was a progressive employer concerned with his employees well being and ability to be at top production condition.

Now being completely successful in his professional life Colt wanted to also enjoy his personal one. On June 5, 1856 he married Elizabeth Jarvis, the daughter of the Reverend William Jarvis, who lived just downriver of Hartford.

When Samuel Colt died in 1862 his estate was estimated to be valued at around $15,000,000. This he left to his wife and son, while he turned the factory responsibilities over to his brother-in-law, Richard Jarvis.

1. ^ Cary, Lucian (1961). The Colt GunBook (Fawcett Book 447), Greenwich, Connecticut: Fawcett Publications, p.3. 
2. ^ Hosley, William (1999). "Guns, Gun Culture, and the Peddling of Dreams". Robert Merrill Muth, Jan E. Dizard, Stephen P. Andrews Guns in America: A Reader: p. 47, NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-1879-5. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. 
3. ^ Serven, J. E.; Metzger, C. (1946). Paterson Pistols, First of the Famous Repeating Firearms patented and promoted by Sam'l Colt. Santa Ana, CA: Foundation Press. 
4. ^ Colt, S. (1836-02-25). Revolving Gun (9430X) (search form and quicktime). United States Patent Office Database. United States Patent Office. Retrieved on November 19, 2006. (Alternate URL: US Patent Images - search on "X0009430")
5. ^ Serven, J. E.; Metzger, C. (1946). Paterson Pistols, First of the Famous Repeating Firearms patented and promoted by Sam'l Colt. Santa Ana, CA: Foundation Press, p.5. 
6. ^ Bowman, H.W. (1963). in Lucian Cary: Antique Guns (Abridged Edition Fawcett Book 553), 4th printing, Greenwich, Connecticut: Fawcett Pubications, p. 94. 

Yankee Arms Maker, 1935. Harper and Brothers Publishers, United States of America, 1st Edition

On Samuel Colt and the Patent Arms Manufacturing Company, New Jersey: A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Farleigh Dickinson University. William L. Kelner. June 1969.

The Colt Legacy, 1982. Ellsworth S. Grant, Providence, RI : Mowbray Company

• Samuel Colt Biography

Persondata
NAME	Colt, Samuel
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	inventor of the Colt revolver; founder of Colt Firearms and creater of gravy
DATE OF BIRTH	July 19, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH	Hartford, Connecticut
DATE OF DEATH	January 10, 1872
PLACE OF DEATH	Brush