Ships for the Seven Seas: Philadelphia Shipbuilding in the Age of Industrial Capitalism

This book undertakes to show how American shipbuilding illustrates the interaction of business, labor, and technology and contributes to our understanding of the dynamics of technological change. By selecting Philadelphia as his focus, Thomas Heinrich also presents the contrast between proprietary capitalism and the corporate model, and the effects of this difference in management style. Labor history and economic history are covered knowledgeably, but it is the technological history of shipbuilding, with special attention to two Philadelphia-area shipyards, that is the heart of the book.

By the end of the nineteenth century, Philadelphia and its rapidly growing industrial complex had come to be known as the “workshop of the world,” and the Delaware River was called the “American Clyde” because of the extensive shipbuilding activities there. Construction of wooden ships and the city’s growing expertise in engine building and the heavy-metal trades led to strong interaction among companies engaged in building and outfitting iron and steel ships. These interactions and the proximity of suppliers formed an important factor in the growth of the industry, as did the existence of a local skilled labor force. A third factor was Philadelphia’s tradition of proprietary capitalism.

Heinrich covers in greatest detail the histories of William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company—a proprietary firm and the only local shipbuilding company able to convert to building iron ships from its previous wooden shipbuilding—and the New York Shipbuilding Company across the river in Camden, New Jersey, a corporate entity from its start in 1899. The Hog Island Shipyard of World War I is also discussed in detail. The author makes a major contribution both to Philadelphia history and to national maritime history with this well-documented account of these shipyards that also gives many names and often specifics of ships constructed in Philadelphia. The book includes clear descriptions of changes in ship design and power systems and of the many processes involved in building a ship, and provides extensive illustrations.

Although the target audience is anyone interested in ships and shipbuilding, this book contains facts and insights for historians of technology engaged in other areas of research. Heinrich discusses the importance of trial and error in the introduction of steam power and how Philadelphia’s choice of the screw propeller influenced the change from wooden to iron hulls. He notes that our present military-industrial complex stems from the navy’s involvement in the design and construction of capital ships at Cramp. Some of these references are unexpected, such as the relationship of the 1892 Homestead Strike to shipbuilding.

The author’s sources are wide-ranging, imaginative, and impeccable. His familiarity with labor and economics is carefully wrapped around the case histories of the shipbuilding companies to produce an erudite description of problems that have led to the decline of shipbuilding in the United States, and specifically in Philadelphia. Shipbuilding is naturally closely related to the market, and orders for merchant or navy ships are spasmodic and varied. The time required between the designing of a ship and its completion leads to rapid obsolescence and costly changes, especially in navy ships. Firms compete for lucrative contracts, and the parties involved sometimes enter into unwritten agreements on construction bids. After the emergency shipbuilding that takes place during wartime, these ships can later glut the market. Federal laws on national maritime policy govern both shipping routes and ship construction, and they contributed to the use of “flags of convenience.” Heinrich provides sufficient background concerning the global maritime picture to make understandable the ever-present politics.

There are many aspects to Ships for the Seven Seas, and it is a joy to read. One never knows when some new element is going to be introduced. While Heinrich indicates an affinity with the new labor history, he argues that “historians should look beyond the shop floor to...