Shipbuilding in the American colonies

Colonial Shipbuilding

Resources and reasons for growth- Colonial era North America provided a treasure trove of natural resources needed to build and maintain a shipbuilding industry. The seemingly endless forests that covered almost the entire eastern seaboard of North America provided the most essential of material for the construction of any ship, timber . The seemingly endless forests that covered almost the entire eastern seaboard of North America provided the most essential of material for the construction of any ship, timber. Resources - Timber was critical for the development of the shipbuilding industry. “For every ton of shipping a vessel held, at least one and half loads of timber were required, with a load of timber being approximately equivalent to one tree’s worth of wood. More specifically, British war vessels required two thousand trees for construction. The abundance of timber and lumber made shipbuilding very economical in the colonies. Woods like Pine, oak, maple, beech, birch, hickory, ash and cypress trees were all plentiful in Colonial America

Reasons- The rapid growth in the commercial agricultural increased the demand for slaves. As a function of the demand, there was increased pressure for supply. The source of slave labor was the African continent. As a function of the industrialization in Europe and the time and the direct result of the pressure for raw material for the industrial products that came from America, the trans-Atlantic trade rose to prominence. The Atlantic slave trade relied on slaves, raw materials and industrial goods from Europe. Shipping was the only means of transport with the ability to cross over the oceans at the time; hence the increased demand for shipping resulted in growth of the shipping industry.

Trade with other Countries In the colonial period European powers were the economic powerhouses of the world and the heavily influenced commerce and trade in both South and North America. The English and the Spanish in particular, exerted their influence over the colonial economies. This influence helped determined the direction of economic advancement on the American continents. In Europe, there was an influx in the demand for products that required tropical climates. For example, tobacco and sugarcane were major items of trading. The climate in the two American continents was conducive for the growth of these products, hence the increased European interest in that part of the world in the period. The increased demand resulted in an increased efforts of production and consequently and influx in investment. Some areas in the colonies were not conducive to the development of agriculture. This was the case in the New England colonies which consisted of the present day New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Islands and Massachusetts. These areas have poorly developed soils and are susceptible to poor climatic conditions. Nevertheless New England did have prime access to the Atlantic Ocean. New England was able to create a thriving fishing industry as well other industries. New England’s ideal placement and the demand that existed for water transport implied that they were involved in the shipping industry as a function of their agricultural impotence, their locations and the development of a fishing industry.

Shipbuilding Process - While the demand for these ships was high, there were new ways needed to meet the demand with supply. There were many shipyards being built, and more and more materials were needed. In the beginning of the colonial period, people built their own boats for fishing and transportation. By the end of the 18th century though, there were many shipyards, and many of these had been past down in families. Many of the ships were used for fishing and transporting small goods, but they were eventually used for trading of more goods, and also for passengers and transport. One of the sources of labor to build these ships was slaves. A lot of the work was specialty work though and required skilled labor. This was considered good work during this time. While shipbuilders did not become wealthy, they did earn good livings: in 1815 one New York shipbuilder earned $30, 000. American shipbuilders earned a reputation for producing the world’s best ships in this period. Many different types of work and jobs related to the shipbuilding industry included carpenters, joiners, sail makers, barrel makers, painters, caulkers and blacksmiths.

Source Materials and Methods- The east coast of the United States provided a specifically dense area for raw materials. Especially in and around Massachusetts, there was an abundance of oak forests that provided wood for the ships. . In the late 1680’s “there were more than 2 dozen sawmills around the maine and Massachusetts areas These saw mills, along with the dense supply of wood, helped to increase the business of colonial shipping. The wood was usually white oak, but “Cedars, chestnuts, and black oaks were perfect for the underwater portion of the ships.” Demand was high for wood, so the colonial people needed faster ways of producing more wood. This lead to inventions of different types of sawmills. One of the first types of saw mills was the water sawmill. This process allowed for faster, more efficient wood to be made for shipbuilding. “Early sawmills simply adapted the whipsaw to mechanical power, generally driven by a water wheel to speed up the process.” After the frame of the ship was ready, next came the outer part of the ship. This was done by using steamers, and using some wood as fuel, planks were heated to be able to bend with the curve of the ship. . A lot of the wood was also needed for fuel for techniques like this. The ships were often times painted yellow, to help make the ship appear faster and newer. Once all the framing and the planking was done, caulking came next to waterproof the ship. Ships made of wood required a flexible material, insoluble in water, to seal the spaces between planks. Pine pitch was often mixed with fibers like hemp to caulk spaces which might otherwise leak. Crude gum or oleoresin can be collected from the wounds of living pine trees Tools used included the mallet, and irons. Mallets were usually 16 inches from end to end, with the handle bar usually being about 16 inches as well. The material that was hammered in between each of the planks was typically oakum, which is a kind of hemp fiber. There was often times 2-3 layers of this oakum fiber placed in between the planks, with putty being put on afterwards to finish off the waterproofing. Tar, which also came from the thousands of trees available, was often times spread over the top of these planks, and they were covered with copper plating. Copper was used because without it, the ship’s hull would often get infected with worms. The copper was fastened to the ship with bronze nails. The ships were often times painted yellow, to help make the ship appear faster and newer.

Economic Impact - Shipbuilding is one of the oldest industries in the United States. The roots of the shipbuilding industry began in some of the earliest colonial settlements up and down the North American Coast. It proved to be a very economically advantageous career at this time. Demand- The shipbuilding industry was extremely important, especially to the New England Colonies in Colonial Times. The first ships were built for fishing, but trade was also conducted by water, which eventually led to the real demand in shipbuilding. Shipyards rose up all along the coast of New England. The abundance of timber and lumber made shipbuilding cheap in the colonies. Many different types of work and jobs were related to the shipbuilding industry including carpenters, joiners, sail makers, barrel makers, painters, caulkers and blacksmiths. There were 125 colonial shipyards by the year 1750. Shipbuilding was a particularly successful and profitable industry in Massachusetts, with its miles of coastline featuring protected harbors and bays, as well as mass quantities of lumber as well as other raw materials in abundance. The early wooden vessels built for commercial fishing and foreign trade also gave rise to a variety of supporting industries in the area, including sail making, chandleries, rope walks and marine railways. Due to the booming shipbuilding industry some colonies such as Maryland experienced deforestation and in turn a depleted stock of available timber. Beginning in roughly 1760, it became necessary in Maryland to import timber from other colonies. However in New England the shipbuilding industry continued to boom. In fact, in New England the abundance of good timber enabled colonists to produce ships thirty percent cheaper than the English, making it the most profitable manufactured export during the colonial period. Even with the forests closest to New York and Boston depleted, the country still had vast timber reserves, making the cost of construction much lower.” An American vessel made of more expensive live oak and cedar would cost thirty-six dollars to thirty-eight dollars per ton, while a similar vessel made of oak in England, France, or Holland would cost fifty-five dollars to sixty dollars per ton.