In 1777, the American commissioners in Paris, Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, contractedwith French naval captain Jacques Boux to design two frigates for theRevolutionary cause. The design was... Show moreIn 1777, the American commissioners in Paris, Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, contractedwith French naval captain Jacques Boux to design two frigates for theRevolutionary cause. The design was the first of a new concept of very large frigates,able to outgun anything they could not outrun. The ships were to be built at a privateyard in Amsterdam. One of these vessels, laid down as L’Indien, would ultimately servethe American cause in the South Carolina State Navy under the name South Carolina.This article examines the Dutch period of the two ships built at the yard of ArieStaats in Amsterdam in 1777–1781. Despite the attention given to South Carolina inthe historiography, the Dutch sources have not yet been studied. The case of L’Indienand Tijger, her sister ship, illustrates the continuing importance of private contractorsto navies in the late eighteenth century. Show less
This article introduces the various articles in this forum. It first sets the scene by showing why the maritime sector forms an excellent case study to investigate risk and uncertainty in the... Show moreThis article introduces the various articles in this forum. It first sets the scene by showing why the maritime sector forms an excellent case study to investigate risk and uncertainty in the premodern world. Second, it problematises from a historical perspective both Frank Knight's and Douglass North's approaches to risk and uncertainty, arguing that notwithstanding the lack of data, premodern commerce could properly assess both risk and uncertainty. Third, it introduces the various articles in the forum. Show less
