When the US government launched a wartime hemp campaign

Historic frigates like the USS Constitution relied on over 60 tons of hemp for rigging and massive anchor cables.

Why Old Ironsides Needed 60 Tons of Hemp

Pioneer wagon covers were woven from hemp canvas, reflecting centuries of agricultural fiber use before foreign imports took over.

The Hidden Origin of the Word Canvas

Legal federal marihuana tax stamps in 1942

The USDA warned WWII farmers to obtain special federal registration and tax stamps to grow wartime hemp legally.

The 1942 Marihuana Tax Stamp Requirement

Old-fashioned manual hemp breaking required exhausting physical labor before power breakers mechanized the separation of fiber.

Hand Breaking Hemp Was Brutal Labor

Workers in the historic Boston Navy Yard mechanized rope walks to spin vast quantities of cordage for wartime naval vessels.

Why Every Battleship Needed 34,000 Feet of Rope

[01:01] Why Old Ironsides Needed 60 Tons of Hemp
[01:28] The Hidden Origin of the Word Canvas
[02:43] The 1942 Marihuana Tax Stamp Requirement
[09:19] Hand Breaking Hemp Was Brutal Labor
[11:26] Why Every Battleship Needed 34,000 Feet of Rope

When the US government launched a wartime hemp campaign

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