CHAPTER VIII INTRODUCTION OF MANUFACTURES AND CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE, 1775-1816 I. MANUFACTURES A. Little Manufacturing for Sale, 17751 Writing just on the eve of the Revolution the author of American Husbandry concluded that there was little manufacturing for the market carried on in the colonies, but that home manufactures were generally practiced. Nothing is more difficult than to discover the amount of their manufactures for sale:. . . That the manufactures for sale are not so great as some have imagined, may be conceived from the vast number of inhabitants, who in all probability work entirely for themselves; in a country where the minute division of landed property is so great as in the most populous of the northern colonies, and in a climate that will yield little valuable, it is impossible that the people should be able to purchase manufactures: poor countrymen in England do it because all their income is paid them in money, whatever may be their work; but in America day-labourers are rarely to be found, except in the neighbourhood of great towns; on the contrary, the man who in England would be a labourer, would there be a little free-holder, who probably raising for many years but little for sale, is forced to work up his wool in his family, his leather, and his flax, after which, the rest of his consumption is scarce worth mentioning. The number of people in the northern colonies who come under this denomination is very great. . . . B. Obstacles to Manufactures, 17762 Some of the disadvantages under which manufactures labored in America, as cited by Dean Tucker, were real and others were imaginary, but the truth was that agriculture, fishing, and commerce were more lucrative branches of enterprise. Tucker wrote with a bias, yet with shrewdness. 1 American Husbandry. By an American (London, 1775), II, 259-60. 2 A Series of Answers to Certain Popular Objections, against Separating from the Rebellious Colonies, and Discarding them entirely. By Josiah Tucker (Glocester, 1776), 42-3. In regard to the Capability of America to rival Great-Britain in the Cheapness and Goodness of Manufactures (which are the main Points to be attended to) be it observed, that America naturally labours under many capital Defects respecting Manufactures. For in the first Place, it doth not abound with Wool, or Silk, Copper, Iron, Lead, Tin, or Coals; Articles of the utmost Consequence in establishing large and extensive Manufactures: - Secondly, the Climate of the greatest Part of the Country is unfavorable to several Species of Manufactures, being either too cold, and too much frozen up in Winter, or too melting and suffocating in Summer; and very frequently the same Country or Province partakes of both Extremes. Thirdly, the Genius and Disposition of the People are not turned towards hard and constant Labour; a Circumstance this, which is visible through every Part of this great Continent. Fourthly, their small Capitals, and Want of Credit is another very great Impediment; and it is too apparent that this Difficulty is not likely to be removed by their present Conduct. Fifthly, their Desertion of the Sea Coasts, and removing in such Shoals up into the Country, beyond the Alligahenny Mountains, as they now do, or lately did, is another great Bar to the Encrease of any Manufactures, which could come in to Competition with the English in any foreign Market. C. Manufactures after the Revolution, 17881 During the Revolution, when foreign trade was cut off and the country was thrown upon its own resources, manufactures sprang up on every side. These were encouraged in some of the states by means of protective tariffs. Brissot, who was enthusiastic about everything in the new republic, gives a glowing account of their development which does not quite harmonize with the gloomy picture presented the following year when protection was requested of the national Congress. EXPORTATIONS AND MANUFACTURES If any thing can give an idea of the high degree of prosperity, to which these confederated republics are making rapid strides, it is the contemplation of these two subjects. It is impossible to enumerate all the articles to which they have turned their attention; almost one half of which were unknown before the war. Among the principal ones are ship-building, flour, rice, tobacco, manufactures in woollen, linen, hemp and cotton; the fisheries, oils, forges, and the different articles in iron and steel; instruments of agriculture, nails, 1 New Travels in the United States of America, performed in 1788. By J. P. Brissot de Warville (Dublin, 1792), 465-8. leather, and the numerous objects in which they are employed; paper, paste-board, parchment, printing, pot-ash, pearl-ash, hats of all qualities, ship-timber, and the other wood of construction; cabinetwork, cordage, cables, carriages; works in brass, copper and lead; glass of different kinds; gun-powder, cheese, butter, callicoes, printed linen, indigo, furrs, &c. Ship-building is one of the most profitable branches of business in America. They built ships here before the war, but they were not permitted to manufacture the articles necessary to equip them; every article is now made in the country. A fine ship, called the Massachusetts, of eight hundred tons, belonging to Mr. Shaw, had its sails and cordage wholly from the manufacture of Boston; this single establishment gives already two thousand yards of sail-cloth a week. Breweries augment every where, and take place of the fatal distilleries. There are no less than fourteen good breweries in Philadelphia. The infant woollen manufactory at Hartford, from September, 1788, to September, 1789, gave about five thousand yards of cloth, some of which sells at five dollars a yard; another at Watertown in Massachusetts, promises equal success, and engages the farmers to multiply their sheep. Cotton succeeds equally well. The spinning machines of Arkwright are well known here, and are made in the country. We have justly remarked in our work on the United States, that nature invites the Americans to the labour of the forge, by the profuse manner in which she has covered their soil with wood, and interspersed it with metal and coals. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, make annually three hundred and fifty tons of steel, and six hundred tons of nails and nail rods. These articles are already exported from America; as are machines for carding wool and cotton, particularly common cards, which are cheaper than the English, and of a superior quality. In these three states are sixty-three paper-mills, which manufacture annually to the amount of 250,000 dollars. The state of Connecticut last year made five thousand reams, which might be worth nine thousand dollars. The prodigious consumption of all kinds of glass multiplies the establishment of glass works. The one on the Potowmack employs five hundred persons. They have begun with success, at Philadelphia, the printing of callicoes, cotton, and linen. Sugar refiners are increasing every where. In Pennsylvania are twenty-one powder-mills, which are supposed to produce annually 625 tons of gun powder. D. Manufactures before 17891 The report of Phineas Bond to the English government reassures it that there is no danger that the Americans will manufacture for themselves, but that the English could count confidently on the American market for the disposal of their goods. While Bond's arguments were on the whole sound, it seems that he was generally careful to report what the English would be pleased to read. In answer to the 6th point of your Grace's inquiries I have collected as accurate an account as I possibly could of the State of manufactures thro' out this continent and have endeavored to form some judgement upon the subject which I take the liberty of submitting to your Grace's consideration. (No. 22) — America must for a long time my Lord be under the necessity of purchasing and importing vast quantities of British or other European manufactures - the preference has and will be given to British manufactures, they are for the most part of the best quality and of course come cheapest to the consumer in the end. The credit too which the merchants of England allow to the American traders, is infinitely more liberal than any other nation upon earth can afford; in so much that many articles of foreign, European manufacture, calculated for the American market, are brought hither circuitously thro' England and English credit is resorted to as the immediate mode of payment for such foreign articles. In a country, my Lord, so extensive as this continent with a seaboard frontery of 1500 miles in length and a Western limit hitherto undefined at present inhabited by scarcely more than 3,000,000 of people possessing a strong natural disposition to husbandry with a powerful propensity to migrate a series of centuries must elapse before this country will be peopled to such a degree as to make the encouragement of manufacture an object of necessary recourse: Agriculture will long continue the source from whence the mass of people will draw their subsistence. . . . Manufactures which require art, labour, and expence to any great extent of either, may be attempted but they will often fail for want of capitals and because the extensive capitals in Europe can afford their manufactures at a rate, vastly lower, than almost anything can be afforded for which is undertaken here. ... Where the raw material however can be taken from the earth and converted into an article of immediate use or speedy demand 1 Report of Phineas Bond, British Consul in Philadelphia, to his Government, November 10, 1789. In Annual Report of the American Historical Association (Washington, 1897), I, 630−2. with little expence and art and where from the bulk or weight of the foreign manufacture, the expence which may attend the carriage is great, the American manufacturers will have the advantage of the European manufacturers, and in this line the Americans do and will succeed. Under the description of articles of immediate use and speedy demand may be comprehended nails and coarse manufactures of iron, Tools which relate to husbandry, to architecture and which are used by most Handycraftsmen. Under the description of articles of heavy bulk or weight may be comprehended anvils, forge hammers, anchors and cast irons of various kinds for mills, carriages and other purposes. E. A Petition for Protection, 17891 When the first Congress met under the new Constitution it was petitioned for relief by numerous infant industries. The one cited is typical of many similar ones. The first act passed by Congress was a tariff act, primarily for revenue purposes, but which granted some slight amount of protection. Saturday, April 11 [1789]. Mr. Smith, (of Maryland) presented a petition from the tradesmen, manufacturers, and others, of the town of Baltimore, which was read, setting forth, That, since the close of the late war, and the completion of the Revolution, they have observed with serious regret the manufacturing and the trading interest of the country rapidly declining, and the attempts of the State Legislatures to remedy the evil failing of their object; that, in the present melancholy state of our country, the number of poor increasing for want of employment, foreign debts accumulating, houses and lands depreciating in value, and trade and manufactures languishing and expiring, they look up to the Supreme Legislature of the United States as the guardians of the whole empire, and from their united wisdom and patriotism, and ardent love of their country, expect to derive that aid and assistance which alone can dissipate their just apprehensions, and animate them with hopes of success in future, by imposing on all foreign articles, which can be made in America, such duties as will give a just and decided preference to their labors; discountenancing that trade which tends so materially to injure them and impoverish their country; measures which, in their consequences, may also contribute to the discharge of the national debt and the due support of the Government; that they have annexed a list of such articles as are or can be manu 1 Annals of Congress (Washington, 1834), I, 115. |