The American Colonies in the Age of Sail

In the early 18th century, American colonists along the seaboard built and sailed small vessels in coastal trade. Growing Caribbean plantations needed provisions, prompting widespread smuggling that violated British, French, and Spanish mercantilist laws. Skilled American mariners, adept in shallow-water navigation, became ideal illicit traders. Historian Carl Herzog of the USS Constitution Museum argues that decades of defying imperial policies fostered professional networks, business savvy, and covert practices that ultimately helped sail colonists toward revolution.