著者

大崎 晃

出版者

公益社団法人 東京地学協会

雑誌

地学雑誌 (ISSN:0022135X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.119, no.4, pp.615-631, 2010-08-25 (Released:2010-11-08)

参考文献数

43

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This study examines the American whaling industry, which was based in New England and dominated most of the Western oil market in the 18th and 19th centuries. Previous studies by the author examined why the industry was attracted to this region, highlighting the favorable economic environment of the area, which allowed investors to accumulate the necessary funds to launch whaling ventures. Each investment consortium that provided funds to whaling vessels organized limited partnerships with individual vessels. This enabled consortiums to collect funds from a variety of stakeholders other than just businessmen involved in whaling and their families. Crewmembers of the vessel, reflecting the multi-racial society of the United States, were also free to select employers without relying on a conventional employer-employee relationship. Taken together, these factors led to New England attracting funds and labor from both within the region and further afield, and developing into the whaling center of the United States. An additional reason for New England's development as a whaling base was the global expansion of the industry to cover the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, with only the Southern Ocean not affected by this growth. Crewmembers were also paid from a ship's profits using the lay system. This payment by piece ratio ensured a minimum payment to crewmembers while guaranteeing a return for investors. The hiring of native islanders as part-time laborers in the whalers' areas of operation also kept expenditure to a minimum, with all of these factors contributing to investors' profits. Against this background, the whaling industry prospered and profited up until the 1850s. In the 1870s, however, the industry started to decline as whale resources decreased and the price of whale oil fell as a result of increased petroleum production. This study examines the details of how whaling voyages were managed during this period and how New England's whaling industry underwent a rapid transformation into a mechanized cotton industry with the owners of whaling vessels switching their investments to the cotton industry at New Bedford, the center of the whaling industry in New England. The rapid change from industrial whaling to the mechanical cotton industry in New England was made possible with the abundant funds accumulated by the whaling industry. The reestablishment of consortiums progressed smoothly as limited partnerships already existed and the labor market adapted efficiently from supplying whaling vessels to supplying female workers for the cotton industry due to the presence of non-conventional employment rules. We can see, therefore, in this region the development from one industry to another was controlled only by market-based mechanisms of American management. This is in sharp contrast to the Japanese fishing industry, which developed from a manufacturing fishery through technological innovation and utilizing community manpower or industrial power as the only motive force under limited investment and labor market conditions.

著者

大崎 晃

出版者

学術雑誌目次速報データベース由来

雑誌

地學雜誌 (ISSN:0022135X)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.109, no.1, pp.87-105, 2000

参考文献数

26

被引用文献数

2 1

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Various studies have been carried out on whaling mainly by American vessels throughout the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans in the 18th and 19th centuries. The studies cover firstly the natural history of whales; secondly, an enlarged geographical view in accordance with the expansion of operating areas, almanac of whaling activities, and studies on whaling from the standpoint of the social sciences. Naturally, there are many unsolved problems in social science studies with their relatively short history. Nevertheless, the writer seeks to identify-by approaching new resources and references-the conditions that made New England the center of whaling in the 18th and 19th centuries.<BR>The writer wishes to point out that the favorable environment for investors made it possible for them to acquire enough funds to start whaling businesses. In those days, new vessels were built and used ones were purchased by consortiums supported by joint small investments in each vessel. A consortium, unlike companies today, did not try to increase the number of vessels. It dissolved itself when a vessel was no longer used or was sold. There are two explanatory theories; deficiency of capital for ship building and losses due to various accidents. These two theories do not necessarily seem to match the facts. As for the former case, investors allocated small amounts for many vessels at the same time. As for the latter, there already existed insurance to cover sea accidents although not a poor hunt. Accordingly, many consortiums were repeatedly established or dissolved. At the same time, each consortium provided good opportunities for investors.<BR>Under these circumstances, no individual risked owning a whaling vessel by investing a substantial amount. Instead, investors left the management of their vessels to an agent. The agent was one of the investors in a consortium, but his investment was modest. He was also a merchant who handled supplies of necessities for voyages of vessels, and sales of whale products upon a vessel's return. Therefore, an agent, like other investors, tried to expand his sales by investing small amounts in many vessels, and at the same time protected himself from a poor catch. Even if a loss was incurred, it was covered by profits from other vessels and sales. Thus the fund provided by other investors was also protected.<BR>Profits from whaling to the crew members were distributed by a lay system. According to this system the crew had to share the risks of fluctuating whaling fortunes, but even in this case the investors' fund was always protected.<BR>Conventional social restrictions upon employing crew members had already been removed, and a new employment custom based on a distribution of profit was established. The contract between the whaling management and the crew was renewed at each voyage. In this case, head hunters were active. They provided crew members with information on the personal experience of each master of a vessel, and on the productivity of each vessel. These facts were very important because they affected the distribution of profits, and the crew selected the next vessel based on such information provided by head hunters.<BR>Under such circumstances, investments encouraged further investments in New England, and whaling developed into an industry. New England attracted many people with professional skills and knowledge, and became the center of the American whaling business. It lasted much longer in the region than in any other parts of the country.