STATEMENT of the Number, Tonnage, and Crews of Vessels that belonged to the several British Plantations in the Year 1843.

FOREIGN TRADE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

DURING the colonial government of the English settlements in the countries now forming the United States, although the absurd and mischievous commercial policy of the rulers and legislators of the British empire limited the navigation, industry, and trading enterprise of the colonists, yet the persevering AngloSaxon spirit of the colonists urged them over the seas to every port in the world, except those to which the navigation laws prohibited them to trade.

The following brief chronological sketch will exhibit the progress of the navigation and trade of the old British colonies, and of the United States, until the year 1800.

1607. The first permanent settlement, after various disastrous attempts, established in Virginia.

1609. Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the service of the Dutch, sailed from the Texel in the beginning of this year, with the design of sailing to the East Indies by a northwest course. He entered into the river Manhattan, and departed in October for England. Dutch ships were sent the next year to open a trade with the natives.

1616. Tobacco about this time first cultivated by the English in Virginia.

Four ships sailed from London, and four from Plymouth to New England, from whence they carried cargoes of fish and oil, which were sold with profit in Spain and the Canary islands.

1618. The only commodities exported from Virginia, at this time, were tobacco and sassafras. The use of the plough introduced in Virginia.

1619. Tobacco.-King James prohibited the sale of tobacco, in gross or retail, either in England or Ireland, until the custom should be paid and the royal seal affixed. Twenty thousand pounds of tobacco exported this year from Virginia to England, nearly the whole crop of the preceding year.

1621. Parliamentary Acts respecting Tobacco.-The English parliament resolved, "that all foreign tobacco shall be barred, but that of Virginia, or any of the king's dominions, shall not be held foreign." A bill, for the restraint of the inordinate use of tobacco passed in May. No tobacco was to be imported after the 1st of October, 1621, but from Virginia and the Somers isles, and, after that day, none was to be planted in England. There was to be paid to the king, for custom, sixpence a pound, in consideration of the loss he might sustain in his revenue. None was to be sold by the merchant for more than eight shillings the pound, but they who should sell tobacco by the pipe, might make the most they could. This is the first instance of the policy of promoting the importation of the produce of the colonies in preference to the produce of foreign States.

1622. Tobacco.-The tobacco exported from Virginia to England, on an average, for seven years previous to 1622, amounted to 142,085 pounds a year.

Fishery.-Thirty-five ships which sailed this year from the west of England, and two from London, to fish on the New England coasts, made successful voyages.

Limit on the Trade to New England.--The Plymouth company complained to King James of the encroachments and injuries of interlopers on their American commerce and possessions, and applied to him for relief. The king issued a proclamation, commanding that none should frequent the coasts of New England but the adventurers and planters, or traffic with the Indians, otherwise than by the licence of the council of Plymouth. Chalmers says, "This remarkable edict, far from proving beneficial to the company, really brought on its dissolution."

1624. Fishing.-About fifty English ships sailed in the spring of this year, to fish on the coasts of New England.

1626. Newfoundland Fishery.-The coast of Newfoundland, for several years frequented by about 250 sail of English vessels, estimated at 15,000 tons, employing 5000 persons, and an annual profit of about 135,000l. sterling.

1627. Trade of the Colony of Plymouth.-The governor and others hired the trade of the colony for six years; and for this privilege, together with the shallop and the pinnace built at Monamet, undertook to pay 1800l. and all other debts of the planters; to bring over to them 50l. a year in hoes, shoes, and sell them for corn at 6s. a bushel; and, at the end of the term, to return the monopoly to the company.

1628. Dutch Trade with Plymouth.-A Dutch bark, from Manhattan, arrived at Plymouth, New England. After this commencement of trade, the Dutch often sent goods to the same place, and a traffic was continued for several years. The Plymouth colonists exchanged tobacco for linens, stuffs, and other articles.

1631. Corn made a Legal Tender.--In Massachusetts, the court of assistants ordered, that corn should pass for payment of all debts at the usual rate for which it was sold, unless money were expressly named.

1633. Trade in Connecticut.- Several trading-vessels sailed up the Connecticut river in the course of the year.

1639. Act to Encourage the Fishery.-The legislature of Massachusetts passed an act, to free from all duties and public taxes, all property employed in catching, curing, or transporting fish.

Trading Post at Narraganset.-Richard Smith purchased of the Sachems, a tract of land in the Narraganset country, distant from the English settlements; erected a house of trade, and entertained all passing travellers.

1642. Trading Post at the Delaware.-The colonists of New Haven sent agents, who purchased of the natives several tracts of land on both sides of Delaware bay and river, and then erected a trading post. Kreft, the Dutch governor of New Netherlands, without any previous notice, sent forth his soldiers, who burned the trading post, and seized the goods at the Delaware.

Iroquois Trade with the Dutch.-The Iroquois carried a considerable trade with the Dutch at Albany, who gave the Iroquois in return fire-arms, ammunition, &c.

1645. Impost on Wines, &c.-The general court of Massachusetts levied an impost on wines and strong liquors, for the pay of government, the maintenance of fortifications, and the protection of the harbours.

Iron Works at Lynn.-The general court of Massachusetts this year granted liberty to make iron. An iron work was begun in Lynn.

Virginia Currency.-The legislature of Virginia prohibited dealing by barter, and established the Spanish piece of eight, at six shillings, as the standard currency for that colony.

1646. Impost on Exports from Connecticut.-In a contract made in 1644, between George Fenwick and the agents of the colony of Connecticut, it was stipulated, that a certain duty on corn, biscuit, beaver, and cattle, exported from the river's mouth, should be paid to Fenwick for the space of ten years. This agreement was confirmed the succeeding year by the legislature, which, at the same time, passed an act, imposing a duty of twopence per bushel on all grain, sixpence on every hundred weight of biscuit, and a small duty on all beaver skins exported from the mouth of the river during the same period.

1646-7. Origin of the Navigation Act.-By an ordinance of the lords and commons of England, all merchandise, goods, and necessaries, for the American plantations, were exempted from duty for three years, on condition that no ship or vessel, in any of the colonial ports, be suffered to land any goods of the growth of the plantations, and carry them to foreign ports, excepting in English bottoms.

1647. Trade with the West Indies.-A trade opened this year between New England and Barbadoes, and other islands in the West Indies, profitable to the colonists, and enabling them to make payments in England.

1651. Navigation Act. The parliament of England passed the famous navigation act. It enacted, "That no merchandise, either of Asia, Africa, or America, including also the English plantations there, should be imported into England, in any but English built ships, and belonging either to England, or English plantation subjects, navigated also by an English commander, and three-fourths of the sailors to be Englishmen, excepting such merchandise as should be imported directly from the original place of their growth or manufacture, in Europe solely; and that no fish should, thenceforward, be imported into England or Ireland, nor exported thence to foreign ports, nor even from one of their own home ports, but what should be caught by their own fisheries only." This act was evaded at first by New England, which still traded in all ports, and enjoyed the peculiar privilege of importing their goods into England free of customs.

1652. Mint in Massachusetts. -A mint was erected this year in New England for coining money. The money coined was shillings, sixpences, and threepences. The law enacted, that Massachusetts' and a tree in the centre, be on one side, and New England' and the year of our Lord, and the figures XII., VI., III., according to the value of each piece, be on the other side. The several coins had N. E. on one side, and the number with the year 1652 on the other. This date was never altered, though more coin was stamped annually for thirty years.

1655. Change in the Virginia Currency.-The Virginia legislature changed the Spanish piece of eight from six shillings to five shillings sterling, as the standard of its

currency.

1660. Navigation Act altered and confirmed.-The navigation act of 1651, continued, with additions. It enacted, that no sugar, tobacco, ginger, indigo, cotton, fustic, dying-woods, of the growth of the English territories in America, Asia, or Africa, shall be transported thence to any other country, than those belonging to the crown of England, under the penalty of forfeiture; and all vessels sailing to the plantations were to give bonds to bring said commodities to England. The most submissive colonists considered the act as grievous, and contrived various methods to evade it.

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1662. Mint in Maryland.—The assembly of Maryland besought the proprietary to make order for setting up a mint, and a law was passed for that purpose. "The great hindrance to the colony in trade for the want of money," is assigned as reason for the measure. It was enacted, that the money coined shall be of as good silver as English sterling; that every shilling, and so in proportion for other pieces, shall weigh above ninepence in such silver; and that the proprietary shall accept of it in payment of his rents and other debts. This coin being afterwards circulated, the present law

was confirmed among the perpetual laws of Maryland, in 1676. This law and that of Massachusetts are the only laws for coining money which occur in colonial history previous to the American revolution.

1663. Monopoly of the Colonial Trade.-An act of parliament was passed this year to monopolise the colonial trade for England. It prohibited the importation, into any of the English colonies, in Asia, Africa, or America, of any commodities of the growth, production, or manufacture of Europe, except they were laden or shipped in England, Wales, or the Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in English built shipping, and to be carried directly to the said colonies, with an exception of salt for the fisheries, wines from Madeira and Azores, and all sorts of victuals from Scotland and Ireland. Under this act, the colonists could obtain no European goods, but through the ports of England. A draw-back of the duties, however, was generally allowed on the exportation of those goods to the colonies.

1665. Massachusetts Shipping.-The number of ships and vessels belonging to the colony was about eighty, from twenty to forty tons; about forty, from forty to 100 tons; and about twelve ships, above 100 tons.

1669. Hudson's Bay Company.-Charles II. gave to Prince Rupert, and several lords, knights, and merchants, associated with him, a charter, under the title of "The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, trading into Hudson's Bay." The entire sum which constituted the original funds of the company, amounted only to 10,5007. 1671. Board of Trade and Plantations.-A board of commissioners of trade, &c., was established this year. The first act of this board was the drawing up of a circular letter to the governors of all his majesty's plantations and territories, in the West Indies and islands belonging to them. Evelyn, a member of the board, says, "What we most insisted on, was to know the condition of New England, which appearing to be very independent as to their regard to England or his majesty, rich and strong as they now were, there were great debates in what style to write them, for the condition of that colony was such, that they were able to contest with all other plantations about them, and there was a fear of their breaking from all dependence on this nation."

1672. Duties laid by Parliament on the Colonies.-The parliament, considering the colonies as proper objects of taxation, enacted, that if any vessel, which by law may trade in the plantations, shall take on board any commodities, and a bond with sufficient security shall not have been given to unlade them in England, there shall be rendered to his majesty, for sugars, tobacco, ginger, cocoa-nut, indigo, logwood, fustic, cotton, wool, the several duties mentioned in the act. The duties of tonnage and poundage had been imposed and extended to every dominion of the crown, at the restoration, but this was the first act which imposed customs on the colonies, to be regularly collected by colonial revenue officers.

1676. Custom of Tobacco. The whole custom of tobacco from Virginia, collected in England this year, was 135,000l. Maryland tobacco was probably included.

1678. New York Exports and Imports.-The annual exports, besides peas, beef, pork, tobacco, and peltry, were about 60,000 bushels of wheat. The annual imports were to the value of about 50,000l.

1681. Commerce and Customs of Portsmouth.-During the year ending with April, 1681, there were entered as Portsmouth, New Hampshire, forty-nine vessels, from ten to 150 tons' burden. The amount of the provincial customs, levied at that port during the same year, on wines and liquors, and one penny a pound of the value on the first cost of goods imported, was 61. 3s. 1d. This was money of the province, which was of less value than sterling, thirty-three and one-third per cent.

1682. Trade of Pennsylvania.-A publication appeared this year, entitled, "The Articles of the Free Society of Traders in Pennsylvania, agreed upon by divers Merchants for the better Improvement and Government of Trade in that Province.'

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1683. Carolina. To remedy the distress felt, by want of a common measure of commerce, the parliament of Carolina raised the value of foreign coins,' and suspended all prosecutions for foreign debts. The currency of Carolina became, in consequence, much depreciated. The second measure, though at first confirmed by the proprietaries, was

afterwards dissented from," because it was contrary to the king's honour, since it was in effect to stop the course of justice; because the parliament had no power to enact a law so contrary to those of England."

1686. New York. The city incorporated by a charter. The shipping belonging to the city of New York had increased to nine or ten three-masted vessels, of about eighty or ninety tons; 200 ketches or barks of about forty tons; and about twenty sloops of twenty-five tons.

1690. First Paper Money in the Colonies.-The government of Massachusetts issued bills of credit as a substitute for money.

1694. Annapolis made a Port Town.-The town of Severn, Ann county, in Maryland, was made a port town, and the residence of a collector and naval officer, and received the name of Annapolis.

1695. Rice in Carolina.-The planting of rice was introduced about this time into Carolina.

1696. Shipping of New York.-The shipping of New York at this time, consisted of forty ships, sixty-two sloops, and sixty boats.

Board of Trade and Plantations.-King William erected a new and standing council for commerce and plantations, styled, the lords commissioners for trade and plantations. With this board, the governors of the American colonies were obliged to hold a constant correspondence; and to this board, they transmitted the journals of their councils and assemblies, the accounts of the collectors of customs, naval officers, &c.

1699. Wool Manufactures of America.-Complaints being made in England, that the wool and woollen manufactures of North American plantations began to be exported to foreign markets, formerly supplied by England, a law was passed, by which no person might export in ships, or carry by horses, into any other place or colony out of the king's dominions, any wool or woollen manufactures of the English plantations in America, under forfeiture of ships and cargoes, and also of 500l. penalty. This is the first notice in the English statute laws of woollen manufactures in the colonies.

1700. Population of Boston.-Boston, at this time, contained about 1000 houses and above 7000 souls.

1701. Duty imposed by Carolina.-The assembly of Carolina, imposed a duty of three-farthings a skin, exported by residents, but double if sent out in English vessels.

Newfoundland Fishery employed this year 121 vessels, collectively, amounting to nearly 8000 tons' burden.

1702. First Paper Currency of Carolina.—A bill was passed by the provincial assembly, for stamping bills of credit which were to be taken up in three years by a duty laid upon liquors, skins, and furs. This was the first paper currency issued in Carolina. For five or six years after its emission, it passed in the country at the same value and rate with the sterling money of England.

1703. Culture of Silk in Carolina.-Sir Nathaniel Johnson about this time introduced the culture of silk into Carolina, but the planters considered rice their staple commodity.

1704. Rhode Island Tonnage Duty.-The legislature of Rhode Island imposed a tonnage duty on all vessels not wholly owned by the inhabitants of that colony.

Regulation of Coins.-The colonies, experienced great inconveniences from the difference in the value of the same coin. Queen Anne published a proclamation" for settling and ascertaining the current rates of foreign coin, in her majesty's plantations in America.

1712. Bank Bills issued.-South Carolina established a public bank, and issued 48,000l. in bills of credit, called bank bills, to be lent out at interest on landed or personal security, and to be taken in gradually at the rate of 4000l. a year. Hewatt says, "Soon after the emission of these bills, the rate of exchange and the price of produce rose, and in the first year advanced 150, in the second 200 per cent."

1713. Connecticut. This colony had scarcely any foreign commerce at this time.

Its principal trade was with Boston, New York, and the West Indies.

1714. The First Schooner is said to have been built about this time, at Cape Ann, by Captain Andrew Robinson.