Thomas Jefferson Papers
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No. 1: An Historical View of the Cod-fisheries of France, England, and the United States

No. 1.

An Historical View of the Cod-fisheries of France, England, and the United States.

France England United States
Vessels Tonage Seamen Rentals Value Dollars Vessels Tonage Seamen Rentals Value Dollars Vessels Tonage Seamen Kentals Value Dollars
1577 150 ..... ..... ..... ..... 15 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1615 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 150 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1626 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 150 ..... 8,000 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1670 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 80 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1676 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 102 ..... 9,180 ..... 1,738,800 ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1731 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 200,000 540,000 ..... ..... ..... 230,000 621,000
1744 564 ..... 27,500 1,441,500 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1764 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 300 ..... ..... ..... .....
1765 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1766 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1767 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1768 259 24,420 9,722 200,000 861,723 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1769 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1770 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1771 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1772 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 25,000 486,561 ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1773 264 24,996 10,128 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 516,000 ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,000 1,071,000
1774 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 516,000 ..... 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1775 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 400 36,000 20,000 600,000 2,250,000 665 25,000 4,405 350,500 1,071,000
1785 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 7,000 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .....
1786 ..... ..... 7,000 426,000 ..... ..... ..... ..... 470,000 ..... 539 19,185 3,287 250,650 609,900
1787 ..... ..... 6,000 128,000 ..... ..... ..... 14,000 732,000 ..... 539 19,185 3,287 250,650 609,900
1788 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 539 19,185 3,287 250,650 609,900
1789 ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 539 19,185 3,287 250,650 609,900
1790 539 19,185 3,287 354,276 865,207

MS (DLC: TJ Papers, 232: 41651); entirely in TJ’s hand. PrC (DLC: TJ Papers, 60: 10432); in Taylor’s hand except for “No. 1.” inserted by TJ at head of text. Tr (DNA: RG 59, Record of Reports of Thomas Jefferson). Dft (DLC: TJ Papers, 233: 41643). The last differs from other texts in these particulars: (1) the columns are in different order (“America,” England, France); (2) a fourth column lists “Authorities” for the figures given; (3) the value for the cod fishery for the United States in 1731 is expressed as “138.000 £ sterl.”; (4) the figures for the United States for 1790 are listed as of 1789 and as derived from “Treasury Abstracts”; (5) the figures for the United States for the two periods 1765–1775 and 1786–1790 are not repeated as above but are bracketed under a single entry and are cited as having been derived from the “Massachusets commee.”; and (6) one entry for 1605 listing 250 vessels for England, but giving no other statistic and citing “2 And[erson] 24. Cites Child” as authority, is deleted. All other authorities in final column of Dft for the figures for France and England for the years 1577–1787 are cited line by line in the following sequence:

  • “[1577] 2 Anderson. 192.
  • [1615] 2 And. 353. cites Trade’s increas[e]
  • [1626] 2 And. 422. cites Golden fleece.
  • [1670] 3 And. 24. cites Child.
  • [1676] 3 And. 53. cites M. S.
  • [1731] 3 And. 426. cites Import[an]ce of Brit[ish] plan[tations]
  • [1744] Sheffield. Tab. 8.
  • [1764] 5 And. 242. Champion. 77. cites Brook Watso[n]
  • [1768] Raynal.
  • [1772] Shef. 57. Champion. 57.
  • [1773] 5 And. 920. Mr. Pitt.
  • [1774] Do.
  • [1775] 5 And. 242. Evid[en]ce on bill for rest[or]ing commerce of New Engld.
  • [1786] ib.
  • [1787] ib.”

In DLC: TJ Papers, 233: 41653 there is another chronological account of the fisheries from 1496 to 1787 that TJ also prepared largely on the basis of Anderson’s historical and chronological deduction of the origin of commerce, by Adam Anderson (TJ possessed the 6-vol. Dublin, 1790 edition; Sowerby, description begins E. Millicent Sowerby, comp., Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson, 1952–1959, 5 vols. description ends No. 3545). On the verso of this outline TJ recorded the chronology of events leading up to his report, beginning with the petition from Marblehead of 1 Feb. 1790 and concluding with the report of the committee of inquiry to Governor Hancock on 13 Oct. 1790. Other memoranda by TJ based on Anderson’s work and on documents employed in preparing the report are to be found in DLC: TJ Papers, 233: 41654–5.

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    Jefferson Papers
    Title
    No. 1: An Historical View of the Cod-fisheries of France, England, and the United States
    Author
    Jefferson, Thomas
    Date
    1 February 1791

    Reference

    Cite as
    “No. 1: An Historical View of the Cod-fisheries of France, England, and the United States,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/01-19-02-0013-0015. [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 19, 24 January–31 March 1791, ed. Julian P. Boyd. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1974, pp. 221–222.]