The Story of the American Merchant Marine

In Short

This book serves as a comprehensive chronicle of the American merchant fleet from the early seventeenth century through the dawn of the twentieth. It traces the industry’s evolution from small colonial sloops trading beaver skins to the rise of swift clipper ships and the subsequent, difficult transition to steam. By examining shifts in technology, trade policy, and economic focus, the author explains how American sailors achieved international supremacy and why that dominance eventually faded, leaving the nation to rely on integrated rail-and-steam networks for its modern commercial life.

The Story

The narrative opens in the early days of New England, where settlers, driven by necessity and the abundance of natural resources like timber and fur, began building ships. These early colonists were remarkably industrious, quickly outperforming their counterparts in other regions. By 1635, colonial-built vessels were already finding regular employment in oversea trade. The author describes a period of rapid growth constrained by British navigation laws, which attempted to force colonial trade through English ports, effectively robbing the colonists by artificially manipulating prices. Despite these restrictions, New Englanders found clever ways to thrive, particularly through the rum and slave trades, which flourished alongside the established fisheries.

As the colonies moved toward revolution, their merchant fleet became a crucial military asset. During the War of the Revolution, merchantmen were transformed into armed vessels, and their captains—like the skilled Jonathan Haraden—developed a reputation for aggression and tactical brilliance. This period established the character of the American sailor: resourceful, independent, and unwilling to be bullied on the high seas.

Following the War of 1812, the American fleet entered a golden age. The establishment of the Black Ball Line in 1816 inaugurated the era of regular packet service, proving that speed and predictability could dominate the freight market. This was followed by the rise of the clipper ships, which captured the public imagination. These vessels were designed for velocity, and captains pushed them to their limits, setting records for voyages to Canton and San Francisco. However, the author cautions against over-romanticizing these ships, noting that many were less efficient than their reputations suggested and that their success was often the result of superior seamanship rather than purely superior design.

The middle of the nineteenth century brought a "critical period." While American shipowners clung to wood and sail, the British began successfully adopting iron hulls and screw propellers. The high cost of domestic capital in the United States, coupled with an intense focus on inland railroad development and river steam navigation, left the American deep-water fleet trailing behind. The author examines the struggle to compete with subsidized British mail lines and the eventual realization that steam was destined to replace sail on major routes.

In the final chapters, the focus shifts to the modern era. The United States transitioned from an independent maritime power to a nation where merchant shipping became an extension of the great railroad systems. The author concludes that the era of the "Yankee" merchant sailor as a dominant, independent figure had passed, replaced by highly efficient, mechanized systems for hauling bulk goods like ore and coal. The story ends not with a plea for protectionist subsidies—which the author views as ineffective—but with a clear-eyed assessment of the economic realities that dictated the decline of the traditional American merchant marine.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The narrative starts with the early colonial period, emphasizing how New Englanders leveraged natural resources to build an efficient fleet. It highlights the ingenuity of early merchants who navigated restrictive British trade laws to secure profits in the West Indies.

Merchantmen in battle array The focus shifts to the revolutionary era, where merchant ships were outfitted for defense and offense. These chapters detail how the sea life and forest life converged to produce sailors who were as comfortable with cannon fire as they were with trade.

The clipper era The author describes the rise of the packet lines and the subsequent clipper ships that made American names famous. He provides a technical look at ship rigs and hulls, contrasting the myths of clipper speed with the realities of maritime economics.

The shift to steam These sections cover the experimental period of early steamboats, such as those of John Fitch and James Rumsey, and the transatlantic voyages of ships like the Savannah. The author explains the technical hurdles of the time, including the limitations of wood as fuel and the engineering challenges of screw propulsion.

The critical period The story concludes by examining the decline of American deep-water supremacy due to a shortage of capital and the preference for iron over wood. It details how the merchant fleet was eventually folded into the logistics of major American railroad corporations.

The People

The book focuses less on singular biographies and more on the archetypal figures who propelled the industry forward. Elias Hasket Derby of Salem stands out as a visionary merchant who understood the value of information; he sent ships not just to trade, but to study the global markets of France and England, proving that foresight was as important as cargo. Captain Jonathan Haraden represents the fighting spirit of the Revolutionary era, a man whose tactical prowess in the face of better-armed opponents defined the era’s nautical character. Captain "Bob" Waterman is presented as the quintessential clipper captain, a man whose drive and skill allowed him to push the Natchez and Sea Witch to record-breaking speeds. John Fitch and James Rumsey appear as the tragic, inventive pioneers of steam, men who possessed brilliant ideas but lacked the capital and institutional support to see them fully realized. Finally, E. K. Collins represents the transition to the industrial age, a man who recognized that steam was the future, even as the broader American economy remained fixated on older, traditional modes of maritime enterprise. Each of these figures moves from a world of localized, individual risk to one increasingly dominated by global competition and large-scale industrial organization.

In Its Own Voice

"The English, numbering about two thousand, and generally most industrious, have done more in three years than others in seven times that space, and at a tenth of the expense."

In the first chapter, the author quotes a British shipmaster’s early observation on the industrious nature of New England colonists.

"The colonial producer was robbed by the artificial reduction of the selling price of his products, and the artificial increase of the price he paid for his European goods--robbed twice by arbitrary laws."

The author critiques the impact of British navigation acts on colonial economic independence.

"It is a slander upon the American sailor of the sail to say that he won the long pennant through coddling."

In the final chapters, the author defends the historical merit of American sailors against claims that their success was merely the product of protectionist government subsidies.

What It's Really About

This book is fundamentally an argument against the idea that the success of the American merchant marine was a result of government protectionism. The author contends that the industry’s rise was the product of individual ingenuity, superior seamanship, and an aggressive, competitive spirit. The underlying question is one of economic adaptation: why did a nation that led the world in sailing technology fail to lead in the era of iron and steam? By linking maritime history to the development of American railroads and inland industry, the author argues that the nation’s maritime decline was not a failure of character, but a rational reallocation of limited capital toward more profitable, domestic industrial opportunities.

Why Read It Today

Readers with an interest in economic history or the technical evolution of ships will find this a rewarding, if demanding, read. The author writes with a warmth for the "sailor of the sail" and a sharp, cynical eye for the way politics and policy often hinder true innovation. It is an honest history; the author does not shy away from the darker aspects of the trade, such as the horrors of the slave ships, nor does he hide the harsh realities of maritime labor. The prose is precise and grounded in records, though the nineteenth-century sentence structures can occasionally feel dense to a modern ear. You will appreciate this book if you enjoy narratives that treat technology as a character, moving from the simple wood-and-canvas sloops of the Pilgrims to the massive, steel-hulled steamships of the industrial age. It is a sobering look at how a nation’s global influence can shift as the tools of commerce evolve, leaving the reader with a deep appreciation for the grit required to master the seas in the age of wind and wood.