Maritime Labor, Economic Regulation, and the Spoils of Atlantic Commerce in Early Philadelphia

Like other Atlantic ports, Philadelphia relied on the services of local pilots to steer ships in and out of its harbor. Seagoing vessels faced different risks in shallow coastal waters than they did on the open ocean, and many crews were grateful for the assistance of skilled pilots. Nonetheless, these local experts occupied an uneasy niche in maritime comerce. Merchants resented the expense of their services, and captains sometimes bristled at the implicit challenge to their authority, even as the pilots themselves pressed for more generous compensation. Beyond the conflict between pilots and captains, the particulars of an attepted regulatory regime also pitted transatlantic traders against coasting merchants, and novice pilots against their more experienced brethren. The fight over harbor pilotage reflected broader conflicts over the shape of the Atlantic economy and how its benefits would be distributed.