Scheduled Sailings

The simple innovation of sailing on a schedule gave immigrants and the American economy a boost in the early 1800s. Traditionally, ships sailed when they had loaded enough cargo to justify a voyage. Passengers could be delayed days or even weeks waiting for the holds to fill. After the War of 1812, ship owners began experimenting with regular timetables, and the 1820s and 1830s saw a boom of scheduled shipping lines across the ocean and along the coasts.