登陆注册
37916700000007

第7章 CHAPTER II. TRADE AND INDUSTRY(2)

European nations had regarded American trade as a profitable field of enterprise and as probably responsible for much of Great Britain's prosperity. It was therefore a relatively easy matter for the United States to enter into commercial treaties with foreign countries. These treaties, however, were not fruitful of any great result; for, "with unimportant exceptions, they left still in force the high import duties and prohibitions that marked the European tariffs of the time, as well as many features of the old colonial system. They were designed to legalize commerce rather than to encourage it."* Still, for a year or more after the war the demand for American products was great enough to satisfy almost everybody. But in 1784 France and Spain closed their colonial ports and thus excluded the shipping of the United States. This proved to be so disastrous for their colonies that the French Government soon was forced to relax its restrictions.

The British also made some concessions, and where their orders were not modified they were evaded. And so, in the course of a few years, the West India trade recovered.

* Clive Day, "Encyclopedia of American Government," Vol. I, p.

340.

More astonishing to the men of that time than it is to us was the fact that American foreign trade fell under British commercial control again. Whether it was that British merchants were accustomed to American ways of doing things and knew American business conditions; whether other countries found the commerce not as profitable as they had expected, as certainly was the case with France; whether "American merchants and sea captains found themselves under disadvantages due to the absence of treaty protection which they had enjoyed as English subjects";* or whether it was the necessity of trading on British capital--whatever the cause may have been--within a comparatively few years a large part of American trade was in British hands as it had been before the Revolution. American trade with Europe was carried on through English merchants very much as the Navigation Acts had prescribed.

* C. R. Fish, "American Diplomacy," pp. 56-57.

From the very first settlement of the American continent the colonists had exhibited one of the earliest and most lasting characteristics of the American people adaptability. The Americans now proceeded to manifest that trait anew, not only by adjusting themselves to renewed commercial dependence upon Great Britain, but by seeking new avenues of trade. A striking illustration of this is to be found in the development of trade with the Far East. Captain Cook's voyage around the world (1768-1771), an account of which was first published in London in 1773, attracted a great deal of attention in America; an edition of the New Voyage was issued in New York in 1774. No sooner was the Revolution over than there began that romantic trade with China and the northwest coast of America, which made the fortunes of some families of Salem and Boston and Philadelphia. This commerce added to the prosperity of the country, but above all it stimulated the imagination of Americans. In the same way another outlet was found in trade with Russia by way of the Baltic.

The foreign trade of the United States after the Revolution thus passed through certain well-marked phases. First there was a short period of prosperity, owing to an unusual demand for American products; this was followed by a longer period of depression; and then came a gradual recovery through acceptance of the new conditions and adjustment to them.

A similar cycle may be traced in the domestic or internal trade.

In early days intercolonial commerce had been carried on mostly by water, and when war interfered commerce almost ceased for want of roads. The loss of ocean highways, however, stimulated road building and led to what might be regarded as the first "good-roads movement" of the new nation, except that to our eyes it would be a misuse of the word to call any of those roads good.

But anything which would improve the means of transportation took on a patriotic tinge, and the building of roads and the cutting of canals were agitated until turnpike and canal companies became a favorite form of investment; and in a few years the interstate land trade had grown to considerable importance. But in the meantime, water transportation was the main reliance, and with the end of the war the coastwise trade had been promptly resumed.

For a time it prospered; but the States, affected by the general economic conditions and by jealousy, tried to interfere with and divert the trade of others to their own advantage. This was done by imposing fees and charges and duties, not merely upon goods and vessels from abroad but upon those of their fellow States.

James Madison described the situation in the words so often quoted: "Some of the States, . . . having no convenient ports for foreign commerce, were subject to be taxed by their neighbors, thro whose ports, their commerce was carryed on. New Jersey, placed between Phila. & N. York, was likened to a Cask tapped at both ends: and N. Carolina between Virga. & S. Carolina to a patient bleeding at both Arms."*

* "Records of the Federal Convention," vol. III, p. 542.

同类推荐
  • 敏树禅师语录

    敏树禅师语录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • BLIX

    BLIX

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 十善业道经

    十善业道经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 璞山蒋公政训

    璞山蒋公政训

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 修真十书金丹大成集

    修真十书金丹大成集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 墨染瑶华

    墨染瑶华

    她身世未知,无名无姓,只是一介平民,而命运造化弄人,却使她阴差阳错进入了皇宫;他初次见她,她一袭白衣,无一丝妖娆妩媚,可正因为这一眼,他却拼上了一辈子乃至整个天下!他是将军,打赢了敌军却输给了她,他不论她多么绝情仍然默默守护哪怕她从未正眼看他一眼……他说:“凤凰双双对,飞去飞来烟雨秋。而如今,凤去了,凰空留。”他说:“在我心中,你从未离去,也从未改变,我只要你好好的”你不曾给我一次回眸,我却始终在对你微笑一曲缘歌成绊,留传说,任谁叹。你的夕阳,我的容颜,谁的三分之一年…
  • 邪颜

    邪颜

    林来仪,二十一世纪的集团总裁,天不亡她,穿越时空,她成为了天凤王朝的公主,身份尊贵。却不想因为天生体弱让人大做文章,被皇帝送至皇宫中的一处荒岛,无人问津,自生自灭。她发誓,宁可负天下人亦不让天下人负她。这辈子,既然老天爷重新给了她生命,那么她会留着这具苟延残喘的身体,好好的活着,绝对……
  • 阴天别闹

    阴天别闹

    懵懵懂的年华,他曾是她胆小生涯里的一个奇迹。他给了她所有的一切,有爱,有梦想,甚至满足了她腐的愿望。愿望过后,是她最不希望的事。
  • 小花仙四季之花

    小花仙四季之花

    传说,在世界海的尽头,有一个神秘的国度,叫做拉贝儿大陆。一天,黑暗侵袭了这个美丽的花的国度,只有命定的少女才能打败他。在收集精灵王的过程中,少女遇到了一群拥有着爱心,美丽,智慧的伙伴,在大家的共同努力下打败了黑暗魔神。穿越时空,未来的第二代花仙魔法使者圣洁之光雪城爱来到了这里,于是,大家又一起奋力反抗。在经历了种种困难之后,终于又一次打败了黑暗魔神。生活恢复了平静。但原来的第一代花仙魔法使者们却都失去了记忆。现在,当年那个五年级小学生的夏安安已是初中生,新的阴谋又诞生了,而这次,竟出现了一个四季大陆,到底四季大陆发生了什么事情呢……
  • 不得不高调

    不得不高调

    冯青松意外的到了一个跨时代的系统精灵,在原主人设定下的精灵系统。大学毕业的舞台上学生代表冯青松看着下面的同学们内心纠结的问道“我真要装逼吗?”“是的!系统会根据你的装逼效果派发技能。”
  • 快穿之女主是我的

    快穿之女主是我的

    系统状元是系统界里的一股泥石流,它总是不按套路出牌。别人找的宿主不是白富美,女霸总,就是女影后,女作家,女黑客,再不济也个个都有一技之长,过人之处。而系统状元的宿主就……状元:“宿主,你有什么特长吗?”宿主沉思道:“我神经特长算吗?”状元:“好吧宿主,你有龙傲天的身份吗?”宿主沉思道:“神经病患者算吗?”状元:“你瞅瞅,你瞅瞅,看我家宿主回答得多么清新脱俗,不像那些个妖艳贱货。宿主,你放心,就算你是个神经病,本系统也一样可以带你浪带你飞。”很久以后宿主瞥了系统一眼“谁带谁?”状元选择原地装死,嗯~真香。这是一本宿主与她的狗女人相亲相爱的故事。来,和我一起干了这碗狗粮。『本文是快穿,女主蛇精病+戏精+微病娇+偏执,男主是陪衬,出现频率极少,系统与女主相爱相杀,主要围绕女主与原女主来展开,不喜勿入,勿喷哦~这是第一次写书请多包涵』
  • 农门小富婆:带着淘宝去种田

    农门小富婆:带着淘宝去种田

    现代美食家因为一场实验,穿越到了古代弱智少女的身上,家徒四壁,日子过得苦巴巴,没关系,淘宝在手,天下我有!种水果,卖香水,开商铺,明月一路披荆斩棘,带着家人奔小康。利用在淘宝上买的护肤品化妆品,明月摇身一变,成了十里八乡有名的大美人。谁知,无意间招惹了一个妖孽美男对她穷追不舍,更是联合自己空间的萌宠,对自己下套下套再下套!明月愤掀桌子,在一个月黑风高的晚上,将某人拖进了小树林……
  • 忆紫色流年

    忆紫色流年

    风凌轩初遇暗紫樱时,她被人群簇拥着,一眼望去,便已被惊艳到,却不知,他们在很小的时候就认识,还有过一个约定,后来……
  • 保家卫国(中华美德)

    保家卫国(中华美德)

    本书稿是从中华美德故事中,撷取具有保家卫国的典型事例,从立志发奋等方面述说了一个个动人的故事,以助于青少年形成正确的道德认识、道德情感、道德行为和道德意志,以滋养青少年心灵的成长。
  • 妖瞳:都市异能巫女

    妖瞳:都市异能巫女

    玛哈族女巫巫丫丫意外穿越现代,从单纯柔弱的小女人,一步步蜕变成女王,成为惊艳四方的都市女巫!清纯小女人化身性感都市女巫,强势回归,闭眼间感应危险,心念间空间瞬移,挥手间风云色变!且看她如何折服三个男人!--情节虚构,请勿模仿