Voyages, the Age of Sail: Documents in American Maritime History, Volume I, 1492-1865 - Paperback

by Joshua M. Smith (Editor)

A two-volume anthology of source readings for maritime history courses

"An indispensable resource for anyone interested in teaching American maritime history. This well-organized and edited collection of primary documents will significantly advance students' knowledge of the fundamental role the sea has played in our nation's past."--Christopher P. Magra, California State University at Northridge

"The sources in these volumes vividly illustrate the rich maritime tradition that forms the core of American social, economic, political, military, and diplomatic development over two centuries."--Kenneth J. Blume, author of Historical Dictionary of U.S. Diplomacy from the Civil War to World War I

"This is the most comprehensive collection of maritime history documents ever published. Drawn from a wide variety of sources, they survey virtually every aspect of American maritime history including maritime exploration, fishing and whaling, labor, diplomacy and warfare, trade and travel, and ecology."--James C. Bradford, Texas A&M University

Intended as a text for college and advanced high school students, Voyages covers the entirety of the American maritime experience, from the discovery of the continent to the present. Published in cooperation with the National Maritime Historical Society, the selections chosen for this anthology of primary texts and images place equal emphasis on the ages of sail and steam, on the Atlantic and Pacific, on the Gulf Coasts and the Great Lakes, and on the high seas and inland rivers.

The texts have been chosen to provide students with interesting, usable, and historically significant documents that will prompt class discussion and critical thinking. In each case, the material is linked to the larger context of American history, including issues of gender, race, power, labor, and the environment.

Author Biography

Joshua Smith is associate professor of humanities at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.