Birmingham District: Difference between revisions

Beginning in 1871 with the founding of the City of Birmingham and the construction of the first [[blast furnace]]s, the development of the district enjoyed explosive growth, slowed only by a deficit of skilled labor and investment capital. This boom earned for Birmingham the nicknames "The Magic City", and "Pittsburgh of the South", and also spurred the growth of several independent industrial cities and dozens of [[company town]]s.

By the end of the 19th century, Birmingham was the third -largest exporter of pig iron in the world, producing 3/4ths4 of United States exports. The region was also a major exporter of coal, and, as technology advanced, became a major steel producing district. With a few notable exceptions such as cast iron pipes and fittings, most of the district's economic output was in basic materials rather than in finished consumer products.