Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding began in the middle of the 1600's because the local fishermen needed boats. The earliest boats were primarily built to be used by the builder. By the late 1700's many fishermen built a new boat each winter, used it the next summer, and then sold it in the fall. Over time captains from other ports started to order their boats to be built. By the 1840's Essex, Massachusetts became North America's leading producers of ships. New Bedford, Boston, and Nantucket were also major shipbuilding ports. Ships were needed by fishermen, whalers, and by the U.S. Navy. Packet ships carried packets of mail, passesngers, and cargo between North American and Europe.

Many shipbuilders learned the trade from their fathers. They worked very closely with the fishermen and each was dependent on the other to do well. Most shipyards were small. Shipyard workers specialize in some part of the work. Sometimes, three or four men worked together as a "framing gang," a "planking gang," or a "launching gang." Many of these gangs were made up of fathers, sons, uncles, and cousins, and they worked hard to develop a reputation for being skilled workers. Other people from Essex were needed to provide everything necessary for building the ship: blocks, rigging, ironwork, sails, masts and spars, anchors, wooden ship wheels. Specialized tradesmen were also needed for carving nameboards and decorative scrolls, and doing finishing interior work such as doors, panels, stairs, berths, and tables. "Caulkers" specialized in making the vessel watertight. Many of these people were hired at a daily rate by different builders, whenever their skills were needed.