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To: U S Army EOD
I had always thought the "clippers" were primarily designed for the tea trade, to get the tea back to New England ASAP.

But I went looking and found this article on "Baltimore Clippers" and, lo and behold,

Baltimore Clippers were often the ship of choice for slavers, smugglers, and West Indian pirate craft.

The use and manufacturing of Baltimore Clippers declined not because of their obsolescence but due to the reputation they gained. One part of this reputation was gained by being the ship of choice for South American raiding. Baltimore became one of the main supply ports for both the Spanish and revolutionary forces. With this reputation many respectable Baltimoreans backed away from any enterprises involving South America and indirectly the Baltimore Clipper.

Another reason for this disapproval was their use in the slave trade. When the slave trade was prohibited in 1808, the Clippers went into use as shipping vessels for the enslaved human cargo. Therefore, they were looked down upon for both their use in this controversial issue and for going against the laws of the United States. Thus the Baltimore Clippers faded away to be replaced by larger ships capable of carrying greater cargoes with the same speed that the Clippers were so famous for.

You learn something every day!
225 posted on 01/12/2004 6:12:41 AM PST by AnAmericanMother (. . . sed, ut scis, quis homines huiusmodi intellegere potest?. . .)
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To: AnAmericanMother
Clippers were basically called clippers because they "Clipped along at a great speed". I never knew until the last few days when all this came up that some were actually designed from the ground up as slavers.

As far as clipping along at a great speed, the "Flying Cloud" made 460 nautical miles in 24 hours in the 1840's or so. That is an average of over 19 knots!! The schooner "Atlantic" made it from the States to England in less than 10 days. That is also getting it. It took me 27 days to make it from the Canaries to the BVI's in my 36' Ketch which is not getting it but I did make it from Madeira to the Canaries in a storm while I was reefed down to less than 20% of my normal sail working area in less than 48 hours which was getting it but most of my crew almost quit on me since we were under water most on the way than we were on top of it.

I used New England Slave ships as my search and found an overwhelming amount of information that support your post of what happened after the American Revolution especially concerning the Triangle.

I also used the search of Georgia Black Confederates and found more information than I believe myself. I know that some of the militia black soldiers also received compensation from the State of Georgia, AFTER THE WAR WAS OVER.

As instructed, I also researched "Uncle Tom's Cabin" to find HB Stowe was much more kinder to the ways of the life in the South than I alway thought. This is surprising even though she was a staunch abolitionist. She in her work apparently did quite a bit of research herself and spread the guilt around. Check this out, what you find may surprise you.

Still, though I hate to admit it, I would have probably fought for the North to preserve the Union. The South with all it economic problems it had and that was to come with the industrial revolution would have never survived.
226 posted on 01/12/2004 7:57:27 AM PST by U S Army EOD (,When the EOD technician screws up, he is always the first to notice.)
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