A Very Short Introduction by Walter Friedman
- How does this reading add to your knowledge of the subject, or challenge or contradict what you previously thought about this aspect of American or global history?
As grade school students we start by learning about Christopher Columbus’s voyage through the ocean blue in the year 1492. Then we enrich our knowledge with the history of colonization and trade done in the early years of our nation. Although grade school history’s class curriculum is not intended to go in-depth on a particular event in history, the class is then just covered on the surface of important events. In a “Very short introduction” by Walter Friedman, the author tosses us with a meticulous analysis on Trade, Commerce, and early manufacture that become important pillars in the growth of our nation. European countries’ interest in the new world grew more as they saw the value in cash crops, trade, and the vast land occupied by their native neighbors.
With the Era of mercantilism on the rise, Great Britain’s influence and control in their colonies led to more exports than imports. While cash crops like tobacco, cotton, and sugar were run in the south, the north led the whale oil and fur business. One of the ways North Englanders were able to increase their profit in the whale oil industry was by exploring technology. They realized that by increasing the chip size and attaching harpoons on the boat instead of log floats they were able to hold on and catch two whales at a time. Friedman says “By the 1930s, American fisheries were annually producing about 4.7 million gallons of fine sperm oil, 5.8 million gallons of regular whale oil, and 1.6 million pounds of whalebone” Pg 25. The fur trade industry also saw an increase in production as their connection with the natives, dutch, English, and French people from the north grew. By staying connected with native Americans they gained valuable geographical and trapping animals skills.
As the country’s population increased, demand for production also went up. Early manufacturers started with textiles mills, firearms, and the clock business. When I went over chapter 3, I found it interesting that the clock business was known as a luxury good in the early years. Only producing 25 clocks a year for 25 dollars. Technology plays a huge influence in the growth of this country and as we see today technology has continued to influence us just as much as it did back then.
A well-written post. However, although you hone in on some specific details, you seem to miss some of the larger points. To some extent this is a weakness of a book like Friedman’s, which glosses over a large span of time, occasionally focusing in on a particular industry, business, or individual in detail but only rarely drawing big-picture conclusions or making interventions in the literature. You emphasize the role of technology; but in addition to being able to produce more clocks, what does Friedman suggest was the equally important innovation associated with Connecticut clockmaking? In the case of the fur trade (which declined by the 1830s and which had long been more reliant on European trading partners than Native Americans), how did its most successful figure, John Jacob Astor, channel his capital into new and more “modern” business enterprises?
Be careful with terms (“New Englander,” not “North Englander”) and dates (the 1830s, not 1930s).