Overview
America’s Second Revolution
“America’s Second Revolution” is set to open at Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s (DLNHC) National Canal Museum in Hugh Moore Park, Easton, PA, on Friday, March 27 at Noon. Fifty years after the American Revolution, a second revolution began stirring in eastern Pennsylvania. For the first time, canals made it possible to deliver tons of anthracite quickly, efficiently, and cheaply from the coal regions to the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, and beyond.
The region was no longer dependent on scarce, costly, and inefficient wood for energy.
Iron furnaces began to experiment with anthracite to smelt iron, but the early efforts were unsuccessful. Then, in 1840, the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company hired a Welsh iron master named David Thomas to build the first commercially and technically successful anthracite-fired iron furnace along the Lehigh Canal at what is now Catasauqua.
On July 4, 1840, America’s Second Revolution began when Thomas’ first cast produced more iron than a charcoal-fired furnace could make in a week. The nation’s birthday became the birthday of its industrial revolution, which continues to this day.
The exhibition will be available till June, during the museum’s spring schedule.
2026 Museum Schedule:
Wednesday–Friday: Noon to 4 PM
Saturday & Sunday: 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Closed for Easter
Upcoming Dates
- Saturday, April 4
- Sunday, April 5
- Wednesday, April 8
- Thursday, April 9
- Friday, April 10
- Saturday, April 11
- Sunday, April 12
- Wednesday, April 15
- Thursday, April 16
- Friday, April 17
- Saturday, April 18
- Sunday, April 19
- Wednesday, April 22
- Thursday, April 23
- Friday, April 24
- Saturday, April 25
- Sunday, April 26
- Wednesday, April 29
- Thursday, April 30
- Friday, May 1
- Saturday, May 2
- Sunday, May 3
- Wednesday, May 6
- Thursday, May 7
- Friday, May 8
- Saturday, May 9
- Sunday, May 10
- Wednesday, May 13
- Thursday, May 14
- Friday, May 15
- Saturday, May 16
- Sunday, May 17
- Wednesday, May 20
- Thursday, May 21
- Friday, May 22
- Saturday, May 23
- Sunday, May 24
- Wednesday, May 27
- Thursday, May 28
- Friday, May 29
- Saturday, May 30
- Sunday, May 31
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