Page 43 - NS-2 Textbook

36 MARITIME HISTORY

ships began to overtake sail as the preferred means of sea
transport Then, in 1858, the first transcontinental stage-
coach made the h·ip from St Louis to San Francisco. This
brought a complete change of attitude in America.
In the early years of the nation's independence!
YOlmg, energetic Alnericans and businessnlen had hlrned
toward the sea for advenhIre and fortune. Now the great
expanse of the American West beckoned. Farms, cattle,
mining, hm1bering, land speculation, and railroads cap-
hIred America's imagination. And in the late 1850s the
turmoil of the Civil War was about to break loose, huning
the people's attention to internal affairs. As the clipper
ships moved off the American historical stage, all other
Clipper ships were the "Queens of the Seas" from about 1845 to aspects of American life began to change.
1855.
OPENING THE DOOR TO JAPAN

With the reopening of the China trade in 1842, the next
half for a round trip between New England and China. objective of American Sailors was Japan. After a brief re-
The Chinese trade offered tea, silk, porcelain, ivory, and lationship 'with Porhlguese traders and missionaries in
other luxuries. Profit ';;vas so great that one successful trip the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centmies, Japan
would pal' for a ship. But time was important, especially had driven all foreigners out of the counhy. Except for
for tea, which could spoil on a long trip. Therefore, Yan- Chinese traders and a few Dutch envoys on an island in
kee shipbuilders sought to build a ship that would cut Nagasaki Harbor, no foreigners ,vere allowed in Japan
the sailing time to China. The clipper ship was their an- dming the 215 years after 1637. In fact, a Japanese law in
swer. The clippers ,vere the 1110St beautiful ships ever to 1825 decreed that any foreign ship that attempted to an-
sail the seven seas; in their tune, they 'ivere also the chor in a Japanese harbor was to be destroyed. Any sea-
fastest By the 1850s, American "China clippers" were men coming ashore were to be arrested or killed. Any
sailing from New York to Hong Kong in about ninety Japanese who left to visit a foreign country was to be
days. In 1845, the Rai1lbow, mentioned earlier, was the killed upon his rehu·n. Such isolation! of COlU'se, kept
fastest ship in the world, having made the trip home to Japan in a feudal state, with few teclmological, scientific,
New York from Canton in eighty-eight days. or social advances.
At the same time the China trade began to make Cultmal mislmderstandings in1peded US-Japanese
great fortunes in New England, the Mexican War ended, relations as well. When the US. East India Squadron
opening up the Pacific Coast to American shipping. Later tried to open the trade door in 1846, Commodore James
that year, gold was discovered in California. Now the Biddle was treated in an insulting marmer. When pushed
clipper-ship builders had another great demand: to bring by a Japanese guard, he chose not to make an issue of the
supplies and passengers to San Francisco. The beautiful matter. He was not aware that this caused him to "lose
ships were used to haul thousands of gold seekers be- £acelI -a major shortcoming in Asian culnue. Aftenvard
tween East Coast ports and California. the Japanese would not even consider talking with such
The clippers had their greatest year in 1853, when a "weak" individual, so Biddle's trade proposals were re-
145 of them sailed for San Francisco. In all, 161 clippers jected and his ships ,"\Tere tOV\Ted out to sea.
were launched between 1850 and 1855. Then the ship- Two years later, when the Navy sloop Preble called at
building boom collapsed. Clippers were expensive to Nagasaki to pick up fifteen shipwrecked American
build and keep up. Their rapid decline was caused partly whalers, the commanding officer fOlmd the Japanese still
by the completion of a railroad across the Isthmus of bragging about their "victory" over Biddle. Commander
Panama in 1855. This made the long, dangerous trip James Glynn decided quick action was the only answer
arolmd South Anlerica unnecessary. Over the 111nch to such behavior. He tlu·eatened to bombard Nagasaki if
shorter distance, larger and slower ships could haul bulk the 'whalers 'were not released within two days. The
cargoes and lllore passengers llluch 1l10I€ cheaply. With whalers were safely turned over, and the Preble sailed
profits down, the fast clippers could not carry enough away vdthout further problen1s.
cargo to make further construction of this type of ship But the Ime of the Japanese market, the need for a
worthwhile. coaling station for ships crossing the Pacific to China,
Other things happening in America and the world at and demands for protection of shipwrecked sailors
this same time also affected merchant shipping. Steam- caused America to ,vant an open door to Japan. President