[#8] Young America
Launched: 1853
End: 1886
Built: New York, William H. Webb
Dimensions: 243’x 43.2’x 26.9’’
Tonnage: 1961 tons
This is a somewhat famous photograph showing a hugely famous ship. Young America was one of the signposts of the clipper ship era and was not only a beautiful clipper in its own right, but it was the last clipper built by the celebrated William H. Webb, one of the foremost shipbuilders and designers of the nineteenth century. While Donald McKay has perhaps received better historical press, there are many who would argue that Webb was the superior designer—and Young America could very easily be exhibit A for that claim. To the ship’s advantage, it is deeply laden (all ships appear better when loaded) but the shadows show off in obvious detail what a clipper hull form was all about. Looking from the stern forward, there is serious concavity at the waterline clear to the main chains. From the bow aft, hull concavity stretches to almost mid-ship.
This is a clipper.
The rig is tall, and the stunsail boom irons are still on some of the lower yards indicating that although the rig has been reduced, some of its glory remains from former days.
Webb built Young America with iron frames that doubtless helped the clipper hog less than a wholly wood-built clipper; a shapely sheer remained.
Young America was owned by George Daniels then Abram Bell’s sons, then Robert Taylor, then George Howes and Company. When the Howes fleet sold out to John Rosenfeld of San Francisco, Rosenfeld & Co., became the last American owners of Young America . In 1883, Young America went under the Austrian flag, renamed Miroslav , and went missing in 1886 in the Atlantic.
The ship starboard of Young America is also interesting, although identity is unknown. Note the large and almost vertical figurehead. This style of figurehead on American ships dates from the 1850s-1860s and was more prevalent among New York and Massachusetts builders than those in Maine. The rig is reminiscent of Red Cloud , but there is not enough to identify the ship positively.
The name Young America was not a random choice. Commencing in the 1840s and perhaps culminating in the early and mid 1850s when Young America began its career, there was a partly political, but mostly cultural movement in the United States that used the term “Young America” as a verbal standard signifying patriotism, free trade, a robust merchant marine, and a call to achieve American destiny. The movement was important and popular for a number of years and this ship was built and named to commemorate the movement. Note the absence of a figurehead but the nevertheless colorful billowing flags carved in wood and painted at the bows.