The Leyden Jar is the first known capacitor used to store an electrical charge. The jar was made of glass and lined with metal foil, both inside and outside of the jar. The jar was then fill half way with water and a chain or steel rod was inserted into the top of the jar. Low conductivity material (cork) was used to hold the metal chain/rod in place. The water and foil inside the jar held the positively charged ions and the outside foil retained the negatively charged ions.

   The results from the Leyden Jar experiments caught the eye of Benjamin Franklin who took the use of electricity one step farther. With the ability to store an electric charge until a needed time, Ben conducted his own experiment in 1750 (5 years after the results from the Leyden Jar were discovered). He began with a small cylinder filled with black powder which was connected to the rod of the Leyden Jar with a wire. Another wire came out of the other end of the black powder-filled cap to continue the electrical circuit. As it turns out, the electrical current running through from the jar and through the wire had the strength to 'leap' through the gap in the wire by arcing from wire to the next. The energy within the electric current ignited the black powder, making it the first recorded blasting cap.

   It was not until 70 years later when a man, Robert Hare, took Ben's findings and created his own blasting cap. Rather than having wires leading right into black powder, Robert created a mixture that we now know as a Pyrotechnic. However, its use was insignificant due to the fact that there was not much difference between Robert and Benjamin's design.

   In 1864, Alfred Nobel was in a quary demonstrating his new invention of dynamite. Using Robert Hare's pyrotechnic fuse for an ignition on a stick of dynamite, Alfred lit the fuse with a match and blasted his way into history. This was a break through as settlers struck gold while marching toward America's west coast.