ABSTRACT
THE very great increase which took place in the foreign commerce of the United States from 1815 to 1861 has been somewhat overshadowed by the even more rapid strides which were at the same time being taken by internal trade and industry. Probably foreign commerce was never again relatively so important a part of the whole American economy as in the period preceding the War of 1812. But this consideration should not be permitted to obscure the picture of remarkably rapid growth after 1815.
