Ben Franklin's world is a production of the Omaha

Institute.

Hello and welcome to episode. Hello and welcome to episode 309 of Ben Franklin's world.

The podcast dedicated to helping you learn more about how the people and events of our

early American past have shaped the present day world we live in.

And I'm your host, Liz Kovart.

The history of North America is a history of connection.

Connection between peoples and

cultures, places and regions, and by the 17th century, international

connections between different nations and empires through the goods, news, and

people send across the Atlantic Ocean.

By the 18th century, the Atlantic Ocean became a busy highway of sorts, full of ships

crisscrossing its waters.

What do we know about the ships that made these transatlantic

voyages? It made the world of 18th century international connection possible.

Philip Reed, a historian who specializes in maritime history, joins us to explore the 18th century

British merchant ship and how its seafaring technology allowed the British Atlantic world to stay

connected.

Now during our investigation, Philip reveals details about the 18th century British merchant ship and its technological development.

Information about shipbuilding and what shipers look for when purchasing a merchant ship.

And how and why ship owners undertook the important work of ship maintenance and mitigating the

financial risks involved with transatlantic shipping and

...