“For those who wonder why commercial fishing rights were so central to the Anglo-American peace negotiations of 1782 and 1783, Magra provides a convincing answer. In this short but stimulating book, he connects all players in the industry and sketches the changes they wrought during the 150 years preceding independence. More important, he provides clear evidence of the extent to which events on land and sea were linked; for this we are in his debt. Atlantic life influenced mainland life, and vice versa. Connections within the wider Atlantic community are central to understanding the North American world.”
— David Hancock, The New England Quarterly
*Winner of the Winslow House Book Prize*
Contents
Part One
The Rise Of The Colonial Cod Fisheries
Part One examines the fish, the people, and the methods responsible for the development of the commercial fishing industry in colonial New England prior to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
The Fish
Fish Merchants
Fishermen
Part Two
Atlantic Origins of the American Revolutionary War
Part Two explains why colonial fish merchants and fishermen decided to resist British authority during the late-eighteenth-century imperial crisis.
Cod and the Atlantic Economy
Atlantic Business Competition and the Political Economy of Cod
The New England Trade and Fisheries Act
Part Three
The Military Mobilization of the Fishing Industry
Part Three explores the variety of ways in which maritime assets helped Americans gain their independence.
From Trade Routes To Supply Lines
The First American Navy
Starving the Enemy and Feeding the Troops
From Fishermen to Fighting Men
What People Are Saying
“Magra’s story, well told and well documented, is essential reading if we are to understand the role of the sea in establishing the American republic.”
— William M. Fowler, Northeastern University
“Thoroughly researched and clearly written, The Fisherman’s Cause will appeal to anyone interested in the Atlantic world and the American Revolution as well as students of economic, maritime, and naval history.”
— Carl E. Swanson, East Carolina University
“This is an impressive effort from a young scholar. I anticipate that Christopher Magra will continue to provide us with interesting and well-written books in the future.”
— David Surdam, EH.NET
“A fine book that deserves a wide readership. It makes a significant contribution to the ever growing literature on the American Revolution and it does so from a refreshingly Atlantic perspective.”
— Keith Mercer, International Journal of Maritime History
“Magra's deep scholarly treatment places the cod fisheries near the center of the American Revolution and the history of colonial America. For those seriously interested in maritime America during the Revolution or the history of American fisheries, this is a significant book.”
— John Odin Jensen, Sea History
“Magra makes important connections between the fishing industry and revolution.”
— Cathy Matson, The Journal of American History
$29
5/5 Stars On Amazon
“This is a well researched, well written book. The author has spent a lot of time in the archives and yet wears his learning lightly. Highly recommended.” - Bruce Jeffries, Amazon Review