The graph shows the number of vessels built and registered in the Maritime Provinces between 1787 and 1900. The total includes over 26,000 vessels.
The first sharp increase occurred during the Napoleonic War. The period from 1820 to 1826 marked the beginning of the great timber trade, with a further increase in 1840. The beginning of Free Trade in 1846, the California Gold Rush of 1849, the discovery of gold in Australia in 1851, the Crimean War in 1854 and the American Civil War in 1861 all resulted in periods of great shipbuilding activity. In the peak year, 1865, more than 660 vessels were built.
The end of the American Civil War in 1865 and the end of Reciprocity in 1866 marked the decline of the great wooden shipbuilding era. Except for a revival in 1874-75, the wooden sailing ship gradually gave way to steam.
Since the graph shows only the number of vessels built and does not give tonnage, the figures after 1880 are somewhat misleading. The average tonnage per vessel was rapidly dropping as few large vessels and more small schooners were being built. For example, while 1884 and 1893 both produced nearly the same number of vessels, the total tonnage of vessels built in 1893 had dropped to one third that of 1884.
