Abstract:
Ship builders made big money during the age of sail. From 1840 to 1860 dozens of wooden ships were built in the shipyards of Kennebunk, Maine. These vessels travelled the world, carrying freight and the hopes and dreams of generations.
What drew entrepreneurs to the Maine coast? How did international events influence shipbuilding? What lead to the final, painful decline of such a successful industry?
Since You Ask follows the career of Joseph Titcomb, the privileged son of a shipbuilder, as he rides the wave of success, only to find that economic forces beyond his control ultimately doom his efforts.