Top Ten Civil War Innovations-- Part 1: Canned Food and Pocket Watches

From the December 12, 2012, Discovery News.  Slide Show.

I had never known about the first four.

1.  CANNED FOOD--  Gail Borden patented condensed milk in 1854.  Sold Navy condensed coffee and cider.  By 1862, soldiers were eating his tinned goods: meat biscuits, condensed coffee and milk.

Entrepreneurs like Van Camps, Armour and Swift began producing single-serving cans of meat.


2.  POCKET WATCH--  Before the war, portable time pieces were a luxury for the ultra rich.  Waltham Watch Company in Massachusetts figured out how to make interchangeable pieces for their pocket watches, making them affordable for everyone.

This breakthrough coincided with the beginning of the war and soldiers took watches with them.  These watches often had inscriptions.

Pass the Coffee, Please.  --Old Secesh