Empress of China — the Chinese Trade That Began in 1784

Given all the economic damage being done by needless trade wars, it seems worthwhile to recall the ship that opened the trade with the United States’ first trading partner, China. The new nation had won the Revolutionary War but had … Continue reading

150 Years Ago Today — The Last Great Tea Race Ends in a Tie

In 1866, five clipper ships set out together from Foochow, China bound for England in what would be the last  Great Tea Race. On September 6th, one hundred and fifty years ago today, after sailing more than 15,000 nautical miles, … Continue reading