biography
| name: |
Griswold, John A(ugustus)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1818–72)
|
| biography:
| Manufacturer, US representative, and philanthropist, born in Nassau, New York, USA. After several commercial ventures, he became head of the Rensselaer Iron Works, the Bessemer Steel Works, and other blast furnaces in Troy, NY. An ardent Unionist and advocate of armoured ships, he oversaw the manufacture of the iron plates for the Monitor and six more such ships for the Union navy. He was one of a group of Americans who in 1864 acquired the Bessemer patents from England, enabling significant developments in America's iron and steel industry. Elected mayor of Troy (1855), he served in the US House of Representatives (Democrat, New York, 1863–7). |
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