Lehigh Preserve Institutional Repository The Democratization of Food: Tin Cans and the Growth of the American Food Processing Industry, 1810-1940 Pearson, Gregg Steven 2016 Find more at https://preserve.lib.lehigh.edu/ This document is brought to you for free and open access by Lehigh Preserve. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of Lehigh Preserve. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. The Democratization of Food: Tin Cans and the Growth of the American Food Processing Industry, 1810-1940 by Gregg Steven Pearson A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate and Research Committee of Lehigh University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Lehigh University January, 2016 © 2016 Copyright Gregg Steven Pearson ii Approved and recommended for acceptance as a dissertation in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Gregg Steven Pearson The Democratization of Food: Tin Cans and the Growth of the American Food Processing Industry, 1810-1940 Defense Date Dr. John K. Smith Dissertation Director Approved Date Committee Members: Dr. Stephen H. Cutcliffe Dr. Roger D. Simon Dr. Maria McGrath iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Without the love, support, and encouragement of my dear wife Kathy, this project would never have come to fruition. I owe her an unimaginable debt of gratitude for allowing me to pursue a dream. Our children, Sara and Phil, were somewhat puzzled and amused by dad's new career as a student, and I thank them for providing an occasional break from my studies. My dissertation committee spent many hours reading drafts and provided crucial insight which was incorporated into the final product.