The American system of manufacturing was a set of manufacturing methods that evolved in the 19th century. The two notable features were the extensive use of interchangeable parts and mechanization for production, which resulted in more efficient use of labor compared to hand methods. The system was also known as armory practice because it was first fully developed in armories, namely, the Springfield and Harpers Ferry U.S. Federal armories,[1] their inside contractors, and various private armories. The name "American system" came not from any aspect of the system that is unique to the American national character, but simply from the fact that for a time in the 19th century it was strongly associated with the American companies who first successfully implemented it, and how their methods contrasted (at that time) with those of British and continental European companies. In the 1850s, the "American system" was contrasted to the "English system". Within a few decades, manufacturing technology had evolved further, and the ideas behind the "American" system were in use worldwide. Therefore in manufacturing today, which is global in the scope of its methods, there is no longer any such contradistinction.