Yankee traders is a term used historically to refer to American merchants and drug smugglers, particularly around the turn of the 19th century.
Many of the Yankee traders came from
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
or other
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
ports — hence the appellation "
Yankee
The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...
".
They were reputed to be particularly shrewd and independent.
[
]
References
External links
A Yankee Trader in Yap: Crayton Philo Holcomb
19th century in the United States
19th century in economic history
Economic history of the United States
{{US-hist-stub