You may know of Paul Revere as a famous American patriot. The one whose midnight ride warned that the British were coming. But did you know Revere started the country's copper industry? After the Revolutionary War copper was in demand for U.S. shipbuilding. The Navy used copper for bolts, spikes, and nails.  England was the only country that could supply copper. The U.S. Navy needed copper for its ships. Revered convince the Navy to give him a loan for $10,000 to build a copper mill. In 1801 Revere started the copper industry in the United States. Today the company is still the leading supplier of copper.