In 1784, Henry Cort patented the puddling process, a revolutionary method for converting pig iron into wrought iron on a large scale. This innovation significantly improved the quality and availability of iron, which was essential for the burgeoning industrial revolution. Cort's process marked a turning point in metallurgy, influencing the production of iron and steel and contributing to advancements in construction and manufacturing.

Henry Cort's patent for the puddling process in 1784 accelerated industrial output, shaping 19th-century literature on labor and social change. Poets like Elizabeth Barrett Browning began to address the human cost of industrialization, influencing the themes of their works.