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"Knavish Charges, Numerous Contractors, and a Devouring Monster": The Supply of the U.S. Army and Its Impact Upon Economic Policy, 1775-1815

Perrin, James K., Jr.
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9030-6446
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462407701

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, History.
This dissertation explores the idea that the heightened level of economic activity required to supply the army acted as a powerful force engendering economic change within early America. The central question driving my research places the supply of the early American army in conversation with the nation's financial development. How did efforts to supply the army evolve over time and what role did this activity play in influencing the nation's changing economic policy in the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries? How indeed did military procurement impact American economic development during the early years of the republic? It is my argument that supply by contract emerged as the principal means by which to feed the army during the early republic due to expediency. Quite simply, early government officials reduced significant overhead procurement and distribution costs by turning over these responsibilities to credible bidders in a manner that fit well with the prevailing tenets of republican ideology yet acknowledged the advent of liberal motivations. Leaner government, for example, especially in those offices intimately connected with the military, appealed to those revolutionaries concerned about large standing armies. Reliance upon contractors, moreover, minimized in theory the likelihood that the military would need to forcibly impress supplies from the civilian population from which it so dearly needed support. These negotiated agreements shifted considerable burden away from the government while shielding it somewhat from any criticism accompanying failure. The relative merits of the system never endured sustained scrutiny—more often than not, the end of a campaign or conflict obscured those inadequacies of the system that continued war would likely have exposed. The interaction of government official, supply contractor, and army officer suggested a society struggling to reconcile values in a changing economic world. The triangular nature of their relationship revealed considerable tension in early America as the government sought to harness the forces of nascent capitalism to better supply armies made up of leaders who embraced a republican ideology. The results proved not always agreeable. Military leaders questioned the actions of even the most reliable contractors, doubting that any other motivation save profit could explain their behavior. Contractors in turn, while certainly driven by the desire to achieve a return on their investment, more often struggled to break even once the friction of war had its way with paper agreements. Finally, government officials, while ecstatic about the perceived savings accompanying supply by contract, wrestled with the question of how to ensure adequate supplies for the army now that they had relinquished a large amount of control to enterprising businessmen. Most importantly, the support of the United States' early military efforts came at a high cost. Contracting, as the principal method by which to feed the army, played a substantial role in generating these expenses. The importance of paying these bills drove the financial reform that created the conditions for the country's rise to both economic and military power.
Mark Grimsley (Advisor)
Peter Mansoor (Committee Member)
John Brooke (Committee Member)
287 p.
American History; Economic History; Finance; History; Military History
US Military History; logistics; financial revolution; military contractors; army supplies; Continental Army; Revolutionary War; War of 1812; fiscal-military state

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Perrin, Jr., J. K. (2016). "Knavish Charges, Numerous Contractors, and a Devouring Monster": The Supply of the U.S. Army and Its Impact Upon Economic Policy, 1775-1815 [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462407701

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Perrin, Jr., James. "Knavish Charges, Numerous Contractors, and a Devouring Monster": The Supply of the U.S. Army and Its Impact Upon Economic Policy, 1775-1815. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462407701.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Perrin, Jr., James. ""Knavish Charges, Numerous Contractors, and a Devouring Monster": The Supply of the U.S. Army and Its Impact Upon Economic Policy, 1775-1815." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1462407701

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1462407701
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.