What events in American and British history led to the creation of dark blue-printed pottery celebrating the new republic? Which British potters responded to the challenge of supplying the patriotic American market? How did the trans-Atlantic trade develop?

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» The history
» The potters
» The trade

From about 1820, a rich dark-blue printed pottery was made specifically for the American market. A small group of patterns became perhaps the most desirable of all collectable printed pottery - designs illustrating the new nation of the United States.

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» The patterns
» The shapes
» The marks
» The source prints

Dark-blue printed pottery was mostly made in North Staffordshire. In the district known as The Potteries, people lived and worked among the smoking bottle ovens and factories where millions of pieces of printed earthenware were produced.

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» The Potteries
» The workers
» The printing technology