"A Flag of Defyance at the Masthead": The Delaware River Pilots and the Sinews of Philadelphia's Atlantic World in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract

This essay explores a neglected link in the chain of Atlantic commerce by examining the role of river pilots, who conducted maritime traffic from the ocean to the port of Philadelphia, nearly one hundred miles up the Delaware River. Pilots' specialized knowledge made them a vital part of the city's commercial economy in peacetime and of its defensive posture in wartime. The need for their services also granted them an unusual degree of leverage in negotiating the terms of their labor. By tracing the development of this profession, the article provides a new perspective on how Philadelphia managed its relationship with the broader Atlantic world.