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Merchant Marine

The U.S. merchant marine is the country’s commercial shipping fleet. The shipping industry has played a vital role in the development of America by connecting the United States with the global economy and serving as a bridge for both trade and immigrants. Despite its predominantly civilian role, the merchant marine has also factored prominently in wartime logistical planning. Civil–military cooperation in maritime transportation has made possible the projection of American military strength overseas.

The Protection of American Trade

English colonial seafarers enjoyed the protection of the Royal Navy to ensure safe passage for ships and goods crossing the world’s oceans. With ample timber for shipbuilding, American vessels became an important part of the maritime landscape, supplying Britain and the Caribbean with trade goods and agricultural products. Although Americans resisted the enforcement of the Navigation Laws in the 1760s, the growth and financial success of the American commercial shipping fleet was a result of British naval protection.

After achieving political independence in the American Revolution, U.S. ship captains found themselves in a vulnerable position as the fledgling government could offer little protection on the high seas. The American belief in “Free Goods and Free Ships” meant little when faced with seizure of goods and impressment of sailors. Between 1783 and 1812, roughly 10,000 American sailors were taken from their ships and “pressed” into service on British warships. The American maritime community, critical of the Articles of Confederation, recognized the need for a navy authorized by the federal Constitution.

In addition to European adversaries, American merchant ships also faced a threat from the Barbary Coast powers (Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli). Rather than pay the required “tribute” in exchange for safe passage, in 1794 Congress authorized the construction of six frigates (of these, the Constitution, United States, and Constellation were completed) to form the nucleus of the American Navy. In 1798, the issue of free trade in the Caribbean resulted in the creation of the Department of the Navy as a Cabinet rank, with Benjamin Stoddert as secretary and an undeclared Quasi-War with France. The desire to defend national honor and safeguard American freedom on the high seas was also one of the major causes of the War of 1812. Throughout this era, the Navy’s primary mission was considered to be the protection of American foreign trade.

The Civil War and the Period of Decline

The Civil War deeply affected the merchant marine. Prior to the outbreak of war, American merchant vessels carried two-thirds of the country’s imports. After the war, that would drop to one-third. A variety of technical, strategic, economic, and social factors contributed to this decline. The Union Navy, faced with the daunting task of blockading 3,000 miles of southern coastline and conducting riverine operations in conjunction with the Army, desperately needed vessels. The Navy chartered and purchased as many merchant steamships as possible and placed them on blockade duty, thereby taking the ships out of commission for trade.

Lacking shipbuilding facilities and experienced sailors, the Confederate Navy based its naval strategy on commerce raiding. Unarmed northern merchant vessels made easy targets. The most successful Confederate captain, Raphael Semmes of the CSS Alabama, sunk 60 ships in 22 months at sea. As insurance rates skyrocketed, northern shipowners attempted to offset their financial losses by selling their ships to neutral countries. After the war, Congress steadfastly refused to allow those vessels “sold-foreign” during the war to be bought back and placed on the American registry.

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