{"id":3815,"date":"2026-09-09T19:23:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/patersonhistory.com\/?page_id=3815"},"modified":"2026-09-09T19:23:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:23:14","slug":"timeline-the-founding-of-paterson-1791-1800","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/patersonhistory.com\/index.php\/timeline-the-founding-of-paterson-1791-1800\/","title":{"rendered":"Timeline: The Founding of Paterson, 1791\u20131800"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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1791 \u2014 The idea becomes reality<\/h2>\n

Early 1791 \u2014 Hamilton’s industrial vision<\/h3>\n

Alexander Hamilton<\/strong>, then U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, was promoting a new economic vision for the young United States: America should develop its own manufacturing capability rather than remain dependent upon British manufactured goods.<\/p>\n

Hamilton had long recognized the industrial potential of the Great Falls of the Passaic River<\/strong>. His concept was to create a planned manufacturing community powered by the enormous energy of the Falls.<\/p>\n

Hamilton’s vision eventually became what he called a “national manufactory.”<\/strong> The Great Falls provided the natural power source that made the experiment possible.<\/p>\n

Tench Coxe<\/h3>\n

An important but sometimes overlooked figure was Tench Coxe<\/strong>, a Philadelphia merchant and government official.<\/p>\n

Coxe promoted the idea of a manufacturing center and helped convince Hamilton to support the creation of the S.U.M.<\/p>\n

Thus, the Paterson project was not simply something Hamilton conceived alone. It grew out of a network of American businessmen, government officials and investors interested in creating an American manufacturing economy.<\/p>\n

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August 1791 \u2014 Organizing the S.U.M.<\/h3>\n

Hamilton became deeply involved in organizing the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures (S.U.M.)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Hamilton was already negotiating with people who would become involved in the manufacturing operation. His surviving correspondence shows him arranging contracts with Thomas Marshall<\/strong>, William Hall<\/strong>, Joseph Mort<\/strong>, and others.<\/p>\n

This is significant because it shows that Hamilton was not merely advocating manufacturing in theory\u2014he was actively trying to assemble the personnel and machinery necessary to make the project work.<\/p>\n

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Aaron Burr enters the story<\/h3>\n

Aaron Burr<\/strong> was among the people who subscribed to\/invested in the S.U.M.<\/p>\n

The Library of Congress\/American Library Association material concerning Hamilton’s project specifically identifies Aaron Burr on the S.U.M. subscription ledger<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

So Burr’s connection to the founding of Paterson is real\u2014but it should be described carefully:<\/p>\n

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Burr was an investor\/subscriber in the S.U.M. project that founded Paterson; Hamilton was the principal visionary and organizer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That distinction is important when writing an accurate Paterson history.<\/p>\n

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November 1791 \u2014 New Jersey charters the S.U.M.<\/h2>\n

November 22, 1791<\/h3>\n

The New Jersey Legislature granted the S.U.M. its charter.<\/p>\n

Governor William Paterson<\/strong> signed the charter on November 22, 1791<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This was a crucial step.<\/p>\n

The S.U.M. became a state-sponsored private corporation<\/strong> with broad powers to:<\/p>\n