When men went to war over Chesapeake oysters (episode 446)

In the 19th Century, the Chesapeake Bay became a battleground over oysters as watermen from New England and New York invaded local waters to harvest the valuable shellfish for a growing international market. Maryland watermen picked up guns to fight off the dredge boats from up north, prompting the Maryland General Assembly to establish an Oyster Navy to try and keep the piece. But many men died in the long war, says Greg Bartles, historian of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the forerunner of the oyster police.