This comprehensive volume appraises in minute detail the construction of American wooden merchant sailing vessels from the 1850s. The book outlines basic design criteria and enumerates and examines every plank and piece of timber involved in their construction, forming the backbone of the commercial shipping industry along the Eastern seaboard during that decade. It serves as an illustrated study of their characteristics and construction.

This work is presented as a detailed study of historical shipbuilding, focusing on a specific era and type of vessel. The publisher's description highlights its comprehensive nature and the extensive use of illustrations to detail construction methods and characteristics. The book appears to be a technical reference for maritime history enthusiasts and scholars interested in 19th-century American naval architecture.