Free Ships: The Restoration of the American Carrying Trade

"Free Ships: The Restoration of the American Carrying Trade" by John Codman is a historical argument for a different approach to American maritime policy in the 1800s. It explains the problems that led to a downfall in American shipping and points a finger at the rules that were supposed to protect it. Codman thinks that laws designed to help American shipbuilders actually caused more harm than good by stopping American merchants from using cheaper foreign ships, and he also looks closely at past government studies of shipping problems that didn't fix anything. He passionately supports getting rid of these trade barriers and believes that opening up the market is the only way to bring American shipping back to its former glory.