Ben Franklin's World is a production of the Yomahundro Institute.

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 Covart.

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 center across the Atlantic Ocean.

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

criss-crossing its waters.

What do we know about the ships that made these transatlantic voyages?

They 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 ship buyers 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 sailing.

But first, I'd like to thank you for being a subscriber to the Ben Franklin's World

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