十九世纪五十年代后,西方资本主义对中国的经济侵略不断扩大,大批的欧美轮船涌入吴淞口,造成了黄浦江“混浊的江面上大队轮船云集”的局面。其中,侨居上海、专营中国沿海和长江船运业的美国藉轮船商人(下称上海美国轮船商)尤为引人注目。1862年,主要由美商主持的旗昌轮船公司(下称旗轮)开业。此后十余年间,它号称上海洋商航业领袖,“称雄于长江,天津及独霸于宁波一口、俨然成为以上海为中心的沿海和长江航运业的霸主。然而,好景不长。从七十年代初起,它开始露出衰退的迹象。最后,竞于1877年为洋务企业轮船招商局所吞并。骤兴急衰,来势汹汹,去势匆匆。这种颇为奇特的现象为什么会出现?其中有很多问题值得深入探讨。 After the fifties of the 18th century, Western capitalist aggression against China expanded continuously. A large number of European and American steams poured into Wusongkou, causing the situation that “the ships of the large brigade on the turbid river surface gathered in Huangpu River.” Among them, the United States based in Shanghai, which specializes in the coastal areas of China and the shipping industry in the Yangtze River, is particularly notable for its steamship merchant (hereinafter referred to as Shanghai American Steamship). In 1862, Cheongchang Steamship Company (hereinafter referred to as Flag Wheel), which was mainly run by the United States, opened its doors. After more than ten years, it claims to be the leader of COSCO Marine, “dominated the Yangtze River, Tianjin, and dominated Ningbo. It has become the overlord of Shanghai-based shipping and the Yangtze River shipping industry.” However, It began to show signs of a recession in the early decade of the decade, ending with the annexation of the China Merchants Steam Turbine Business School in 1877. Why this rather peculiar phenomenon came about? There are many issues worth exploring in depth.