Speaking of Custom House...

This online exhibit from the National Archives about early 19th century merchant shipping and its paper trail is amazing. I've referred to it again and again as I continue with Book Two revisions.

From the exhibit's introduction:

This exhibit features early federal records that document the first voyage made by the Ship Mount Vernon of Salem, Massachusetts in 1803. At that time, tall ships from Salem, like the Ship Mount Vernon, traveled around the world exporting and importing cargoes from the West and the East, including exotic locations such as Canton and Sumatra. These documents, and the information recorded on them, are typical examples of records for thousands of American ships of that time. They are also documents that were an integral part of the daily life of seamen, merchants, and officials.

All of the documents in this exhibit are from records created by officials of the Salem and Beverly Customs District for keeping track of American vessels, the cargoes that they carried, and most importantly, to account for the import and tonnage taxes that were the main source of federal revenue in those early days of the Republic.

As one of my characters says, "Paperwork is Custom House's raison d'être." While I would never bore my readers with the intricate details of said paperwork (snooze...), it's always fun to see historic documents and artifacts. If you have a few spare minutes, head over to the National Archives site and take a look!