Editing Dundee (section)

===18th and 19th centuries===

The economy of medieval Dundee centred on the export of raw wool, with the production of finished textiles being a reaction to recession in the 15th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Whatley|Swinfen|Smith|1993|pp=28–30 }}</ref> Two government Acts in the mid 18th century had a profound effect on Dundee's industrial success: the textile industry was revolutionised by the introduction of large four-storey mills, stimulated in part by the 1742 Bounty Act which provided a government-funded subsidy on [[Osnaburg]] linen produced for export.<ref>{{harvnb|McKean|Swan|Archibald|2009|p=274}}; {{harvnb|Whatley|1992|p=23}}; {{harvnb|Checkland|Checkland|1989|p=45}}; {{harvnb|Durie|1979|pp=27, 52, 146–147 }}</ref> Expansion of the [[whaling]] industry was triggered by the second Bounty Act, introduced in 1750 to increase Britain's maritime and naval skill base.<ref>{{harvnb|McKean|Swan|Archibald|2009|p=275 }}</ref> Dundee, and Scotland more generally, saw rapid population increase at end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century, with the city's population increasing from 12,400 in 1751 to 30,500 in 1821.<ref name="Smout 1998 240–248">{{harvnb|Smout|1998|pp=240–248 }}</ref>

The phasing out of the linen export bounty between 1825 and 1832 stimulated demand for cheaper textiles, particularly for cheaper, tough fabrics.<ref>{{harvnb|Durie|1979|p=169 }}</ref> The discovery that the dry fibres of [[jute]] could be lubricated with [[whale oil]] (of which Dundee had a surfeit, following the opening of its gasworks) to allow it to be processed in mechanised mills resulted in the Dundee mills rapidly converting from linen to jute, which sold at a quarter of the price of flax.<ref>{{harvnb|Turnock|1982|pp=60, 122}}; {{harvnb|Watson|1990|p=14}}; {{harvnb|Watson|2004|p=94 }}</ref> Interruption of [[Prussia]]n flax imports during the [[Crimean War]] and of cotton during the [[American Civil War]] resulted in a period of inflated prosperity for Dundee and the jute industry dominated Dundee throughout the latter half of the 19th century.<ref>{{harvnb|Lenman|Lythe|Gauldie|1969|pp=23–24}}; {{harvnb|Stewart|1998|p=1}}; {{harvnb|Checkland|Checkland|1989|p=48 }}</ref> Unprecedented immigration, notably of Irish workers, led to accelerated urban expansion, and at the height of the industry's success, Dundee supported 62 jute mills, employing some 50,000 workers.<ref>{{harvnb|Swift|Gilley|1989|pp=117–118}}; {{harvnb|Dundee Heritage Trust|1998|pp=1–3 }}</ref> Cox Brothers, who owned the massive [[Camperdown Works]] in [[Lochee]], were one of the largest jute manufacturers in Europe and employed more than 5,000 workers.<ref name="MS6">{{cite web |title=MS 6 Cox Brothers Ltd, Jute Spinners and Manufacturers, and Cox Family Papers |url=http://arccat.dundee.ac.uk/dserve.exe?&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=2&dsqSearch=((text)=%27cox%20brothers%27) |work=Archive Services Online Catalogue |publisher=[[University of Dundee]] |access-date=5 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206030933/http://arccat.dundee.ac.uk/dserve.exe?&dsqIni=Dserve.ini&dsqApp=Archive&dsqCmd=show.tcl&dsqDb=Catalog&dsqPos=2&dsqSearch=((text)=%27cox%20brothers%27) |archive-date=6 February 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The rise of the textile industries brought with it an expansion of supporting industries, notably of the whaling, maritime and shipbuilding industries,<ref>{{harvnb|Jackson|Kinnear|1990|pp=16–22 }}</ref> and extensive development of the waterfront area started in 1815 to cope with increased demand for port capacity.<ref>{{harvnb|McCarthy|2007|p=80}}; {{harvnb|Kenefick|2000|pp=38–50 }}</ref> At its height, 200 ships per year were built there, including [[Robert Falcon Scott]]'s Antarctic research vessel, the {{ship|RRS|Discovery}}. This ship is now on display at Discovery Point in the city.<ref>{{harvnb|Huntford|1986|p=47 }}</ref> A significant whaling industry was also based in Dundee, largely existing to supply the jute mills with [[whale oil]]. Whaling ceased in 1912 and shipbuilding ceased in 1981.<ref name="whaling">{{harvnb|Hunting the Whale: The Whale Ships }}</ref>
[[File:SCO Dundee, Tay Rail Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|220px|The original [[Tay Rail Bridge|Tay Bridge]] (from the south) the day after the disaster. The collapsed section can be seen near the northern end.]]

While the city's economy was dominated by the jute industry, it also became known for smaller industries. Most notable among these were [[Keiller's marmalade|James Keiller's and Sons]], established in 1795, which pioneered commercial [[marmalade]] production,<ref>{{harvnb|Mathew|1998|p=12 }}</ref> and the publishing firm [[DC Thomson]], which was founded in the city in 1905. Dundee was said to be built on the 'three Js': Jute, Jam and Journalism.

The town was also the location of one of the worst rail disasters in British history, the [[Tay Bridge disaster]]. The first [[Tay Rail Bridge]] was opened in 1878. It collapsed some 18 months later during a storm, as a passenger train passed over it, resulting in the loss of 75 lives.<ref>{{harvnb|Lewis|2004|p=69 }}</ref> The [[1906 Dundee fire|most destructive fire in the city's history]] came in 1906, reportedly sending "rivers of burning whisky" through the street.