USA > Pennsylvania > A geography of Pennsylvania : containing an account of the history, geographical features, soil, climate, geology, botany, zoology, population, education, government, finances, productions, trade, railroads, canals &c. of the state : with a separate description of each county, and questions for the convenience of teachers : to which is appended, a travellers' guide, or table of distances on the principal rail road, canal and stage routes in the state > Part 16
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
129
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
Mention the varieties of iron ore most common in Pennsylvania. Where is the magnetic ore found, and what are its properties ? The brown argil- laceous or hematite ore ? The fossiliferous ore, and what is said of its seve- ral varieties ? In what situations do the iron ores of the coal formations oc- cur ? What is said of their character and quality ? How does bog ore oc- cur, and what is said of it ? What is the total estimated amount of iron ore annually mined in the State ? What is the estimated average yield of ore in the furnace, and what is the annual product of iron ?
In which of the counties is most of our marble obtained ? Near what places are there extensive quarries, and what kinds are produced ? In what part of the State is the " Potomac marble" found ? What is said of the general benefits derived from limestone ? To what purposes is it applied ? Which of these is considered most important to the wealth of the State ?
In what places is roofing slate quarried for use ? What is said of hydrau- lic cement or water lime ? Of useful kinds of clay ? What other valuable minerals are mentioned ?
What is said of the quantity of timber in Pennsylvania ? Mention the useful purposes supplied by our forest productions. What several kinds of timber are spoken of as most important, and to what uses applied ? What is the estimated amount of lumber annually produced ? Mention some other valuable productions of our forests.
18. TRADE AND COMMERCE.
COMMERCE is usually considered under two heads, the foreign and home trades ; but inasmuch as Pennsylvania is one of a confederacy of States, each exercising almost unlimited sovereignty within its own borders, and yet all, in their relation to foreign states, to be considered as a unit, the subject may more properly be presented in three divisions ; first the foreign trade, or interchange of commodities with foreign nations; secondly the domestic trade, or interchange with the other states of the Union ; and thirdly the internal trade, or that between different sections of the State.
THE FOREIGN TRADE. t-Of the early history of the foreign trade of Penn- sylvania, we have but little authentic information. We have every reason, however, to believe that its extent was very limited, until after the estab- lishment of Penn's colony in 1682.
Prior to Penn's embarkation for America he disposed of 20,000 acres of land to an association, entitled the Free Society of Traders of Pennsylva- nia, which was formed in England and confirmed by patent, for the avowed purpose of promoting the interests not only of the stockholders of the com- pany, but of all concerned in the trade of the colony. This company at- tempted to establish various manufactures and other industrial pursuits in the province. In a letter from Penn to the committee of the society, resid- ing in London, dated " Philadelphia 16th of 6th mo., called August," we find mention made of a tannery, a saw-mill, and a glass house, a whalery, and a dock, as belonging to it; and also that Penn advised them to attempt the culture of the vine for wine, and the manufacture of linen. These at- tempts to introduce the culture of the vine, the manufacture of glass and
* Works consulted in the preparation of this article .- Colonial Records of Pennsyl- vania, Proud's History of Pennsylvania, Gordon's History of Pennsylvania, Hazard's Re- gister of Pennsylvania, Reports of the Secretary of the Treasury on the Commerce and Na- vigation of the United States, Seybert's Statistical Annals of the United States, Pitkin's Commerce of the United States, Hazard's Commercial and Statistical Register, Whit- worth's State of Trade, Holmes' American Annals, Life and Writings of B. Franklin, Harris' Pittsburg Directory, and the Commercial List and Philadelphia Price Current.
t As the British North American colonies were entirely independent of each other until after the severance of their connexion with the mother country, the trade of Pennsylvania with the others, prior to 1776, is properly included in the foreign trade.
130
GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
linen, and the whale fishery amongst the colonists, did not prove success- ful ; of the further operations of the company we know little or nothing.
In the first year of the establishment of the colony, 26 ships arrived with passengers and emigrants, and 40 trading vessels great and small. These latter were, no doubt, laden with provisions, furniture, and stores of various kinds for the colonists, and took little if any export cargo. In the next two years 24 more ships arrived with emigrants. For the first few years the attention of the settlers was, necessarily, very much engrossed by the clear- ing of land and the culture of grain, for the consumption of the colony ; but " trade and commerce, in which the Quakers were known to excel," soon claimed their notice. A trade was opened with the Indians, for furs and skins ; and the culture of tobacco was carried on so extensively that in one year (1688-9,) there were exported 14 cargoes of the weed. In this branch of agriculture, however, Virginia and Maryland were found too powerful rivals ; and it was soon abandoned for the culture of wheat, barley, oats, rye, &c., and the grazing of cattle and cutting of timber : the exports of the province undergoing a corresponding change.
The war between England and France, commencing in 1688 and termi- nating in 1697, operated injuriously on the interests of the colony. About the latter end of this period we find allusion made to the poverty of the pro- vince, and to the impediments to its commerce, consequent upon the war ; and it is stated that " in Philadelphia even, pieces of tin and lead were cur- rent for small change."
The course of trade, from this early period until the separation of the province from the British empire, appears to have undergone but little change, although extended in its range. The exports, consisting of grain, salt provisions, pipe staves, &c., and at a later date including flour, bread, flaxseed, iron, &c., were not wanted in England, at that time a great grain- exporting country ; but found a market in the neighbouring provinces and the West Indies ; and subsequently also in Portugal, Spain, several Euro- pean and African ports in the Mediterranean, and the various groups of islands in the North Atlantic adjacent to Africa. The returns from these various branches of foreign trade, excepting a small portion required for the consumption of the province and its trade with the Indians, were all carried to England ; or the produce received was sold in other foreign countries and the proceeds remitted to England, where all the available funds of the province were required to pay for the manufactures imported thence, which, from the restrictions imposed by parliament on manufacturing in the colo- nies, were to a very great amount, embracing almost every article of cloth- ing, and household utensils even of the most simple and common kinds.
The following table exhibits the vast excess of imports over exports, in the trade of the province with Great Britain, from 1697 to the commence- ment of the war of Independence, and also shows the effect of war and other operative causes, on the amount of importations.
During the war between Great Britain on the one part and France and Spain on the other, which continued from 1702 to 1713, the commerce of the province was exposed to repeated depredations by privateers. In 1707-8 the captures of vessels off the capes of the Delaware were so frequent as almost wholly to interrupt the trade, which had in addition, about this period, to bear the exaction of dues for the privilege of navigating the Dela- ware, levied by order of Governor Evans, at a fort erected at New Castle.
The war between Great Britain and Spain, in 1717 and '18, does not appear to have materially affected the colony.
The year 1722 was one of great commercial embarrassment in the pro- vince. The importations appear to have been too great, the country was drained of specie for remittance to England, and there was consequently a deficiency in the circulating medium. The payment of debts was pro- crastinated, lawsuits multiplied, produce was made a legal tender in pay- ment of debts, executions for debt were stayed, the rate of interest was reduced from 8 to 6 per cent. and the value of coin was raised 25 per cent. These measures naturally tended to destroy confidence in the results of all
131
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
trading operations ; but did not, as was intended, prevent the exportation of specie.
Trade of Pennsylvania with Great Britain, from 1697 to 1776, inclusive.
Year.
Exports to G. Britain.
Imports.
Year.
Exports to G. Britain.
Imports.
Year.
Exports to G. Britain.
Imports.
£ sterling.
£ sterling.
£ sterling.
£ sterling.
£ sterling.
£ sterling.
*1697
3,347
2,997
1724
4,057
30,324
1751
23,870
190,917
1698
2,720
10,704
1725
11,981
42,209
1752
29,978
201,666
1699
1,477
17,064
1726
5,960
37,634
1753
38,527
245,644
1700
4,608
18,529
1727
12,823
31,979
1754
30,649
244,647
1701
5,220
12,003
1728
15,230
37,478
1755
32,336
144,456
1702
4,145
9,342
1729
7,434
29,799
1756
20,095
200,169
1703
5,160
9,899
1730
10,582
48,592
1757
14,190
168,426
1704
2,430
11,819
1731
12,786
44,260
1758
21,383
260,953
1705
1,309
7,206
1732
8,524
41,698
1759
22,404
498,161
1706
4,210
11,037
1733
14,776
40,565
1760
22,754
707,998
1707
786
14,365
1734
20,217
54,392
1761
39,170
204,067
1709
617
5,881
1736
20,786
61,513
1763
38,228
284,152
1710
1,277
8.594
1737
15,198
56,690
1764
36,258
435,191
1711
38
19,408
1738
11,918
61,450
1765
25,148
363,368
1712
1,471
8,464
1739
8,134
54,452
1766
26,851
327,314
1713
178
17,037
1740
15,048
56,751
1767
37,641
371,830
1715
5,461
16,182
1742
8,527
75,295
+1769
26,111
199,909
1716
5,193
21,842
1743
9,596
79,340
1770
28,109
134,881
E. vs. S.
S 1717
4,499
22,505
1744
7,446
62,214
1771
31,615
728,744
2 1718
5,588
22,716
1745
10,130
54,280
1772
29,133
507,909
1719
6,564
27,068
1746
15,779
73,699
1773
36,652
426,448
1720
7,928
24,531
1747
3,832
82,404
1774
69,611
625,652
1721
8,037
21,548
1748
12,363
75,330
S 1775
175,962
1,366
1722
6,882
26,397
1749
14,944
238,637
2 1776
1,421
365
+1723
8,332
15,992
1750
28,191
217,713
E. vs. S. & F. Eng. vs. Fr.
To remedy the evil, in the latter part of this year a scheme for a paper currency was first laid before the Assembly of Pennsylvania ; and in March following, after much controversy, a law was enacted for the issue of £15,000 currency, in bills of credit of from 1s. to £1 in value, to be loaned in sums of from £12 to £100, at an interest of 5 per cent. per annum, on pledge of real estate, ground rents or plate, of double the value of the advance; said
bills to be a legal tender. In the latter part of the same year a further
more by the increase of industry and economy induced by the recent hard
times, the commerce of the province was soon revived.
* Peace established this year between England and France.
t First issue of government bills of credit in the province, to supply deficiency of cur- rency occasioned by too large importations.
# Non-importation agreements were adopted in this year at most of the ports in the Bri- tish North American colonies.
Eng. at war with Fr. and Spain.
1708
2,120
6,722
1735
21,919
48,804
1762
38,091
206,199
1741
17,158
91,010
1768
59,406
432,107
1714
2,663
14,927
Eng. vs. Fr. & Sp. E. vs. S.
issue of £30,000 was authorized. By this timely relief, and doubtless still
The effect produced may be observed, by reference to the amounts of
War.
132
GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
imports and exports, as well as by the examination of the annexed statement of the Commerce of the province and Tonnage built during these years.
Year.
Vessels built.
Tonnage.
Vessels cleared.
Tonnage.
1719
128
4,514
1720
140
3,982
1721
111
3,711
1722
10
428
96
3,531
1723
13
507
99
.
3.942
1724
19
959
119
5,450
1725
. 140
6,655
At various subsequent periods, in 1729, '39, '45 and '46, acts were passed for creating or re-emitting bills of credit. In 1748, when the amount outstanding was £85,000 cur., or £53,333 stg., a bill to increase the issues was brought before the Assembly ; but was postponed on account of an at- tempt, at that time being made in parliament, to restrain all the American colonies from issuing bills of credit as a circulating medium. In the bill which passed parliament in 1751, prohibiting the northern colonies from creating or re-issuing bills of credit, except on extraordinary occasions, Pennsylvania was not included; her bills having remained at par or nearly so, while those of Massachusetts, owing to excessive issues, had depre- ciated to less than one-seventh their original value. Encouraged by this favour shown them, the Assembly in 1752 prepared a bill for a fresh issue of £40,000. Franklin, who was chairman of the committee to which the matter was referred, stated in a very forcible and lucid manner the advan- tages which had accrued to the province, and which might still be antici- pated, from a moderate issue of paper currency ; the measure, however, being in opposition to the wishes of the proprietaries, did not meet with the approval of the Governor, but led to long and angry discussions between him and the Assembly. No further issues were made until the war with the French on the western frontiers, in 1755, rendered them absolutely necessary. In 1730 the imports were to a very large amount, and, probably to assist in liquidating claims on account of a portion of these, an insolvent law was passed. The exportation of the staples of the Province about this period was as follows :
Years.
Bu. wheat.
Bbls. flour.
Casks bread.
Value of wheat, flour, bread and flaxseed. £ currency.
1729
74,800
35,438
9,730
62,473
1730
38,643
38,570
9,622
57,500
1731
53,320
56,639
12,436
62,582
In this latter year the population of Philadelphia was estimated at 12,000. The commerce of the Province annually employed about 6,000 tons of shipping ; and about 2,000 tons were annually sold in foreign ports, princi- pally West Indian.
The commerce of the Province from March 25, 1735, to March 25, 1736, was as follows:
Arrivals.
Clearances.
Arrivals. Clearances.
London
11
10
Brought up,
. 107
124
Bristol, Eng.
9
3
St. Christopher's
9
9
Liverpool
2
0
Newfoundland
3
1
Ireland
14
23
Boston
17
10
Gibraltar
1
6
Rhode Island
8
7
Lisbon
6
13
New York
4
2
Cadiz
6
2
Maryland
7
13
Madeira
7
5
Virginia
5
2
Turk's Island
3
0
North Carolina
7
5
Antigua
20
20
South Carolina
1
15
Barbadoes
19
26
Georgia
2
Jamaica
9
16
Not specified
. 30
22
Carried up
107
124
199
212
.
·
.
Of the arrivals 51 were ships, 13 snows, 44 brigs, and the remainder smaller vessels.
133
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
Hostilities between Great Britain and Spain were recommenced in 1739; and in the following year the enemy kept several privateers off the Ameri- can coast, which cruised successfully against the colonial commerce. In 1743 war was declared between Great Britain and France. In 1746, the enemy, finding the Delaware unprotected, made many captures, ascending the river as high as New Castle, and even threatening Philadelphia. In May 1748 the city was again thrown into a state of great alarm, and bat- teries were erected for its defence, owing to the appearance of a Spanish privateer in the bay. To retaliate in some measure upon the enemy, two privateers, the Wilmington and the Delaware, were fitted out and sent on a cruise.
The restoration of peace in 1749 gave a powerful impulse to commerce. The imports from Great Britain in this one year were nearly equal in amount to those of any three consecutive years preceding. The values of exports of wheat, flour, bread and flaxseed were as follows :- in 1749 £148,104 currency, in 1750 £155,175, and in 1751 £187,457; and the number of vessels cleared from 1749 to 1752, averaged annually 403; the population of Philadelphia being estimated at 15,000. This activity in trade continued, despite the refusal of the Governor to increase the paper currency, until the difficulties with the French and Indians on the western frontier, in 1755.
On the 4th March, 1753, the schooner Argo, Capt. Swaine, was des- patched by the merchants of Philadelphia, in search of a north-west pas- sage to India. Touching in New England, he entered Hudson's straits and came in sight of the island of Resolution. Vast quantities of driving ice forced him out of the straits, into which having in vain attempted to re- enter, and the season for discovery on the west side of the bay being over, he shaped his course for the coast of Labrador, along which he sailed from 56° to 65° north latitude, discovering six inlets, to the heads of all which he sailed and prepared charts of them. The vessel returned in safety to Phi- ladelphia, whence she was again despatched on a similar voyage, under the command of the same captain, in 1754. From this voyage Capt. Swaine returned, without success, in October of the same year, having had three of his crew killed by the Indians. The merchants of the city expressed general satisfaction with Capt. Swaine's proceedings, and made him a handsome present. These we believe to have been the earliest voyages of discovery made by any of the North American colonists.
During the continuance of the seven years' war (which was commenced by a collision between the English and French troops on the western frontier of Pennsylvania, in 1755, although war was not declared until the following year) the commerce of the province suffered severely ; the value of imports from Great Britain varying from £144,456 stg. in 1755, to £707,998 stg. in 1760. This latter sum, it is probable, from its vast amount, included military stores. Serious losses were occasioned to the mercantile community by the provincial government prohibiting the exportation of provisions and military stores to French ports, in 1756 and '7.
The restoration of peace with France and Spain, in 1763, removed many restrictions from commerce ; but found the province burthened with a heavy debt, incurred in carrying on the war, her people impoverished, her merchants largely indebted to those of the mother country for goods im- ported, and trade generally depressed.
The continuance of difficulties with the Indians on the western frontier, after the restoration of peace with France, for some time kept the province in a state of excitement, (the boldness of the incursions alarming even the Philadelphians,) and tended to increase the embarrassment of trade.
The effect of these disturbing influences had not passed away when the British parliament, in 1764, commenced a course of injustice and oppression towards the North American colonies, which at length forced them into open rebellion, and resulted in their independence. With a fixed deter- mination to resist the collection of all taxes imposed without their consent,
12
134
GEOGRAPHY OF PENNSYLVANIA.
the colonists met the repeated attempts of the home government to force these odious measures upon them, by non-consuming and non-importation agreements, and at length by open resistance. Our limits preclude more than a passing notice of these exciting events, which, however, arc detailed in every history of the American revolution. The influence of the non- importation agreements on commerce may be seen by contrasting the value of imports from Great Britain in 1769, (£199,909 stg.) when these agree- ments were generally adopted throughout the rebellious colonies, with that of the imports in 1771 (£728,744 stg.) when the non-importation restric- tions were removed, save in reference to tea.
The following view of the trade of the province, given by Franklin in 1766, during his examination before the British House of Commons, in re- ference to the repeal of the stamp act, shows it to have been so completely tributary to that of Great Britain, as to leave little cause for regret at the separation of the two governments, which shortly followed. The imports from Great Britain into the province, he says, are computed at more than £500,000 stg. annually, and the exports to Great Brtain at only £40,000 stg. the balance being paid by the produce of the province carried to the British, French, Spanish, Danish and Dutch West India Islands ; to New England, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Carolina and Georgia ; and to different parts of Europe, as Spain, Portugal and Italy ; for which either money, bills of exchange or other commodities, suitable for a remittance to England, are received. These, together with the profits of the merchants and mariners, as well as the freights earned in their circuitous voyages, all finally centre in Great Britain, to pay for British manufactures used in the province, or sold to foreigners by the American traders.
Notwithstanding the measures of the home government, calculated, if not intended to injure the province, her resources were rapidly developed ; and commerce, despite the many vexatious restrictions imposed, prospered, until stopped by a state of open warfare. We append a statement of the commerce in the years 1771-2-3 : the exports in the years 1774-5 being to a still greater amount.
Value of Exports.
Clearances.
Years.
£. stg.
Square rigged vessels.
Sloops and schooners.
Total. Tonnage.
1771
631,554
361
391
46,654
1772
784,254
- 370
390
46,841
1773
720,135
426
370
46,972
From 1776 until 1783 Pennsylvania had little or no foreign trade; her merchants, however, were not idle; but amongst the foremost in patrioti- cally sustaining the struggle for independence, by their example, their mo- ney and their personal services.
The first bank established in the United States was opened at Philadel- phia, July 17, 1780, under the title of the Bank of Pennsylvania, with a capital of £300,000 currency; the especial object of its creation being to supply the army with provisions. This bank, we believe, continued in ex- istence until the Bank of North America went into operation, January 7, 1782. The latter was the only bank in Pennsylvania, until the United States' Bank commenced business in 1791.
With the restoration of peace in 1783, commerce was resumed ; but much remained to be done in order to place it in a prosperous condition. Abroad, new relations had to be formed with countries whose sovereigns, with the return of peace, were disposed to pursue their old protective policy for the benefit of their own trade and commerce, and who looked with an evil eye upon our democratic institutions. At home, matters of still greater moment called for regulation : a currency deranged ; public and private credit almost prostrate ; tariffs various in the different states, and conflicting and fluctu- ating in a manner ruinous to trade and demoralizing to the community, by the temptation offered for smuggling :- these were some of the main de- pressing evils under which commerce laboured, and which had yet to be
135
TRADE AND COMMERCE.
removed ere it could prosper. The imports of manufactured goods, shortly after the return of peace, it is true, were to a large amount ; (e. g. from Great Britain in 1783 £245,258; in 1784 £689,491;) but this was no evi- dence of returning prosperity ; on the contrary it tended still further to em- barrass, as the indebtedness incurred was far beyond the means of payment.
These difficulties continued throughout the United States, without mate- rial abatement, until, by the adoption of the federal constitution, in 1789, the thirteen republics unitedly placed themselves among the great powers of the earth. This compact not only increased the physical force of the republic, but, by the abolition of all transit duties between the states of the Union, and the prohibition of preference of any kind to the ports of one state over those of another, in the laws regulating commerce or revenue, it produced friendly feelings and a community of interests, in the different sections of the Union, where before had existed jealousy and bitter rivalry. Commer- cial relations were now entered into with the principal European nations, trade and commerce revived, the resources of the country were rapidly de- veloped, and by the establishment of the bank of the United States, in 1791, a currency universally accredited was furnished. In the improved condi- tion of the Union above noted, Pennsylvania fully participated.
A new era now opened to the commerce of the United States, in which the wars occasioned by the French revolution exerted a most powerful in- fluence. By reference to the following table of Imports, Exports, Duties, Drawbacks, Tonnage, and Arrivals, from 1791 to 1841 inclusive, the effect produced on the foreign trade, by causes to which we shall allude, may be noted.
In 1792 France commenced her wars with the other European powers, and excepting an interval of peace of about 14 months, in 1802-3, continued them without intermission until the abdication of Napoleon in 1814. On the return of the Emperor in 1815, hostilities were renewed, and finally terminated in this year.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.