Early and Growing Commerce of the United States [pp. 365-378]

EARLY AND GROWING COMMERCE OF THE UNITED STATES. 373
data, as the ports were sometimes opened and sometimes closed, and our
trade necessarily took other channels. In none of these years did the
import or export much exceed two million dollars.
At the adoption of the Constitution, our trade with France did not
exceed seven million five hundred thousand dollars annually, including
her colonies. Our imports were, coffee, sugar, rice, oils, fruits, brandies,
liquors, cotton, laces, silk, linen, drugs, glass, hardware, etc.; our exports, fish, breadstuff, products of forests, tobacco, negroes, etc. In
1795, this trade went up to ten million dollars, but declined again very
rapidly to the close of the century. In 1807 and 1808 our exports
were very large, reaching from eleven to thirteen millions, which points
up to 1833, they did not again pass and only once or twice equalled.
Our imports from an average of one million dollars at the opening of the
century averaged in 1831 to 1833 thirteen million dollars. With regard
to the French islands, Mr. Pitkins thus compares their policy with that
of Britain at the close of the last century. The policy of Britain was
to monopolize the carriage of the articles, that of France to monopolize
the articles themselves. Britain was willing the United States should
have sugar and coffee if British ships carried them; France was willing
the Americans might supply her plantations with what she could not
supply them herself, but would not allow them to receive in return the
valuable products of the islands which she monopolized to herself. Our
trade increased notwithstanding. During the wars of Europe the ports
were left entirely open, and France offered to secure their trade forever
to the United States, on the condition their possession might be guaranteed to her. This was declined. Our trade became enormous, and we sup.
plied the mother country through the islands. From 1795 to 1801, this
trade averaged eighteen millions dollars, whilst from 1821 to 1833, it
never exceeded two millions. In the first period, the imports were
several times the exports, in the last the exports have generally been
larger. The American trade with Hayti from 1821 to 1833, was larger
than with all the French Islands.
The wars of the French Revolution, as we have remarked before,
were most favorable to our neutral commerce. We supplied the Spanish Islands during most of the time, and our trade with them it the beginning of the century averaged twenty millions of dollars. The average from that period to 1820 was about five and a half millions exports.
From 1820 we began to keep our accounts with Cuba and the South
American States separately. Fromn 1820 to 1833 our trade with Cuba
averaged twelve millions annually, the imports invariably exceeding
the exports largely, and was next in importance to that of England and
France. The chief exports have been provisions, domestic manufacture, furniture, etc., etc. With the other Spanish Islands our trade
from 1821 to 1833, varied from one to two millions. With Mexico,
from 1835 to 1833, the average trade was about ten millions; imports
generally the most; with Central America average about one-half
million; with Columbia, two million dollars; Buenos Ayres, two
million dollars; Chili, two million dollars; Peru, less than one
million. To old Spain, herself we have exported domestic produce,
etc., etc., and our trade at the opening of the century averaged six mil