As the US honed in on what it hoped would be its notable first in manned space exploration, a problem arose that required a unique solution. Surprisingly, the answer to this problem of cutting edge technology turned out to be an obsolete piece of equipment that came as the result of the vision of a daring private entrepreneur, with the help of a few two-by-fours.
During the civil war, the manufacture of powder and explosives was often handled by the most vulnerable, young women and children, whose labor was needed when so many men had been sent off to war. On March 13, 1863, the confederacy experienced a munitions disaster, in the confederate capitol of Richmond.