Getting Hammered® #Todayin1776: Adams Says Everyone Needs To Be Making Gunpowder
Feb 24, 2026
A 1776 saltpeter shortage sparks discussion about boosting domestic gunpowder production. The origins and chemistry of saltpeter are explained. Practical instructions for making saltpeter at home are recounted. A push for civic duty and a committee to coordinate supplies is described.
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Domestic Shortage Made Gunpowder A Strategic Crisis
- Colonies relied almost entirely on imported gunpowder in 1775, leaving them vulnerable when Britain blockaded supplies.
- John Adams and Congress pushed domestic saltpeter production from household wastes to sustain powder manufacturing during the war.
How To Make Saltpeter At Home
- Collect nitrogen-rich vegetable and animal refuse and mix with limestone, mortar, and ashes to produce saltpeter.
- Moisten heaps with stable runnings and urine, then leach and evaporate to recrystallize potassium nitrate.
Congress Resolutions To Build Powder Infrastructure
- Recommend assemblies establish county public works and appoint committees to set up saltpeter manufacture at colonial expense.
- Also recommend erecting powder mills and recruiting skilled powder-makers to boost domestic production.