Atomic theory was just barely beginning to be invented at the beginning of the 19th century. Apparently graphite was discovered to be carbon (and not lead) in 1

Atomic theory was just barely beginning to be invented at the beginning of the 19th century. Apparently graphite was discovered to be carbon (and not lead) in 1779: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/inorganic/faq/discovery-of-carbon.shtml http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/inorganic/faq/d...