Revere started a copper mill in Canton, Massachusetts in 1801. The United States Navy needed access to copper sheets to sheath, the bottom of ships in order to improve their speed and lifespan. The U.S. had become reliant on Britain for copper sheets, as no Americans were able to roll copper at the same level. To better compete, Revere sent his son, Joseph Warren Revere, on an espionage mission to Britain and began experimenting. Soon, Paul Revere become the only American capable of rolling copper into sheets of at least equal quality to Britain. In 1802, Revere was commissioned to plate the Massachusetts State House dome with copper, and 1803 he was commissioned to roll copper for the U.S.S. Constitution.
