Learn How Frederick T. Stanley Helped Transform New Britain, Connecticut, into the “Hardware Capital of the World”
America was built from the ground up. A few inventive individuals created the tools that allowed America to excel in manufacturing on a global scale. One such entrepreneur was Frederick T. Stanley, who is inextricably connected to America’s manufacturing dominance, and who personifies the phrase “Made in America.”
The documentary The Toolbox of America explores Stanley’s fascinating story, and the remarkable rise of America as a manufacturing giant.
In The Toolbox of America, six-time Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Bailey Pryor examines the innovations the Stanley family brought to manufacturing, and the transformation of the Connecticut city of New Britain, which emerged during the 19th and 20th centuries as the “hardware capital of the world.”
By the early 20th century, New Britain had become the nexus of manufacturing in America and home to companies like the Stanley Works, founded in 1843 by Frederick Stanley. In 1920, the Stanley Works merged with the Stanley Rule & Level Company, which had been founded by Frederick’s cousin Henry Stanley. Today, the company is known as Stanley Black & Decker, and it still calls New Britain home. Just about every person alive today has used a Stanley tool in one way or another, an incredible achievement for Frederick Stanley, the lanky New England kid who couldn’t wait to get out of town.
The Toolbox of America features interviews with experts and industry insiders who help shed light on the impact of the Stanley family on New Britain, manufacturing in general, and the world!
The program originally aired on CPTV on May 17, 2018.
The Toolbox of America is presented by Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and distributed nationally by American Public Television (APT).
