American Merchant Ship Journals from India Trade, 1784-1860

Primary source journals from American merchant ships engaged in trade with India between 1784 and 1860. The data, compiled by Robert R. Swartout, includes logs from vessels like the Ruby, Belisarius, Derby, Tartar, and Apthorp. These documents capture commercial and cultural encounters during the Age of Sail.

Use Cases

• Analyze patterns in maritime trade and commerce based on ship journal entries.
• Study cultural perceptions and encounters described in the logs of American sailors and merchants.
• Track the historical timeline and economic transitions of the US-India trade route mentioned in the description.

Strengths

• Covers a defined historical period from 1784 to 1860.
• Based on primary source materials like ship journals and logs.
• Focuses on a specific trade route and cultural interaction between the US and India.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.

Provenance

Source

Robert R. Swartout

Collection Method

Likely compiled from historical ship journals and logs.

Time Range

1784-1860

Geography

United States, India, maritime routes