Shanghaiing - Crimping
Another way of lets call it recruiting men, besides pressment, was the shanghaiing or crimping. Shanhaiing got its name in the middle of the 19th century and that only because Shanghai was often the destination of the ships with the abducted men. While in the case of pressing, a group of ships went out and collected men (one could protect oneself with a letter from the government), in the case of shanghaiing the man was the victim of a crimp
Crimping or shanghaiing was usually trickery with the help of a crimp. A crimp (most a civilian) would lure a man by buying him cheap liquor and getting him to spend all his money. Then, stripped of his meager savings, he would be obliged to pack back the debt. The crimp would deliver the drunken new seaman to a waiting ship and take an advance on his wages. The crimp would collect his debt and might receive a bonus or fee from the captian. The seaman would now be obliged to work for the ship to earn back the advance, enforcable at law.
Shanghaied men coming aboard by Bill Pickelhaupt (x)
Alternatively, he might just put a marked coin in the person's pocket or drop one in the tankard and as soon as the man picked it up, the crimp would have his next victim - after all, he took the coin to sign on a ship. In very hard cases, it is sometimes necessary to strike in order to help the new sailor to his happiness.
A readout of a crimp, mostly these were found at ports and dockyards, 19th century
These techniques had been known since the 18th century and were very popular in America, as the pressgang of the British was all too well known and considered inhumane and unfair. Now one can argue whether kidnapping and trickery was a better alternative. But it was not only the Americans who did it. It took place everywhere and was a feared practice alongside the press gang.
These recruitment technique were officially abolished in the 1860s, but were secretly carried out until the beginning of the 20th century.
