Chemistry, trade, and the economy: Exploring the history of customs laboratories in the United States (1870s-1930s)

This article focuses on the history of the customs laboratories in the United States between the 1870s and the 1930s, focusing especially on the decades up to World War I. It pays attention to the various dimensions of these laboratories, in particular the context of their creation. The first customs laboratory was established in New York in 1878, and over the subsequent years, similar laboratories were set up across the country. The evolution of this network was influenced by factors such as the increasing specialization of these spaces, their geographic distribution, and changes in their organization and scope. The article also explores the types of imported merchandise analyzed in these labs; the roles of their staff, especially customs chemists, both within and outside these laboratories; their impact on the circulation of goods and in generating revenue from taxation; and the main challenges faced by customs chemists in adapting and standardizing their work. After discussing the necessity of customs laboratories in the United States, the article examines their progressive specialization, with a detailed study of the customs laboratory in New York. This laboratory was the largest and most significant due to its location and longevity. Finally, the paper considers the relationship between customs labs and the law, and how these spaces adapted to new challenges during the first third of the twentieth century.

Automated summary

This article focuses on the history of customs laboratories in the United States from the 1870s to the 1930s, with a specific focus on the decades leading up to World War I. It examines various aspects of these laboratories, such as their establishment, the types of imported merchandise they analyzed, the roles of their staff, and the challenges they faced. The article also delves into the progressive specialization of the customs laboratory in New York and the relationship between these labs and the law.