Times of the trade: marine chronometer use in nineteenth-century America

Abstract

The nineteenth-century adoption of marine chronometers by American naval and merchant vessels made travel on the open ocean safer and faster. However, marine chronometers required extensive check-ups and daily or weekly winding during use at sea. To maintain their accuracy, these intricate clocks relied on highly skilled mariners who counted on these objects both as timekeepers and global positioning systems. In other words, nineteenth-century marine chronometers were needy. Mariners could not care for these instruments alone. They needed skilled craftspeople on land to complete regular cleanings and occasional repairs. ☐ This thesis argues that marine chronometers cannot be fully understood without examining the networks created through their acquisition, use, and care on land and at sea. To expose these networks, this project relies on nineteenth-century objects and documents in northeastern United States collections. Interrogating marine chronometer construction, design, and repairs uncovers these instruments’ stories of use and preservation. Letters, logbooks, and ships’ accounts reveal how mariners perceived these devices as tools and treasures. Analysis of documentary and object sources reveals the international networks of these instruments’ use, ownership, and care in the nineteenth century.