Era of the Clipper Ships
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: North American Series
- Categories: Technology, Inventions, Economics
- Subcategories: Trade, Commerce, Ships, Naval History
- Curriculum: American History 1816-1855
- Geographical Location: Vermont, Massachusetts, New England, Rhode Island, California, New York, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire
- Date: 1845-1857
Article abstract: Booming trade with California, Australia, and China gives rise to fast and beautiful seagoing vessels.
Summary of Event
Although the clipper ship’s actual design and construction developed primarily for economic reasons, its relatively rapid decline was a result of the Civil War, the Panic of 1857, and the dramatic development of steam vessels. Because of labor costs and an inability to secure knowledgeable crew members, four- to six-masted, gaft-rigged limber and cargo schooners were built to compete with steamships. The design and...
[The entire page is 1493 words long]
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