Since the pre-Columbian era, oysters served as a primary food source in the Chesapeake Bay. In the 1800s, harvesting of oysters — known as “Chesapeake White Gold” — increased exponentially with the introduction of dredging techniques from New England, leading to an oyster decline in some areas. After the Civil War, clashes began occurring between Virginia watermen, intent on raiding Maryland’s more abundant oyster beds with dredges, and Maryland watermen, many of whom used traditional hand tongs due to a dredging ban in the state. As a consequence of the…
