Overview

Between 1802 and 1880, black powder was the sole product manufactured at DuPont. Before coming to America in 1800, E.I. du Pont, the company’s namesake, learned the superior skills of black powder manufacture (the combination of sulfur, potassium nitrate and charcoal) at the French government’s gunpowder agency. Certain that he could produce a powder superior to the best available American product, E.I. began building the Brandywine powder mills in 1802. By 1820 DuPont powder had earned a good reputation among sportsmen and the company had become the leading powder supplier to the U.S. government.

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