The Maritime History of Massachusetts is a unique part of our society. From ancient Egyptian papyrus boats to the vast oceans, sea vessels have played a key role in the development of human society throughout time.
This article will cover a wide range of topics related to the sea. We will explore the development of sailing ships, the earliest sea voyages, and more.
The Early Years
Before Boston became a walking city, its harbor was the heart of urban life and sailing ships dominated urban life. Step aboard the Liberty Star schooner to experience life on America's waterfront during this era in maritime history and meet captains, merchants, sailors,, cooks, poets, preachers, privateers, privateers and cabin boys on an authentic sailing voyage through Boston Harbor and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary waters.
In Massachusetts, shipbuilding was an essential activity during the seventeenth century. Essex County shipyards alone produced more than 50 vessels each year - many designed for transporting bulky cargoes safely in protected waters using both sails and oars as propulsion mechanisms. A typical shipyard consisted of an area near water with docks, sheds for yard tools storage space for timber storage, and room for business conduct - but few had permanent offices onsite - most dealings took place directly within their builder's home or where business was conducted between builders themselves.
Shallops were used as inshore and offshore fishing vessels by Massachusetts fishermen for decades. An 18th-century map depicts these square-rigged crafts, depicting several shallops at anchor in Winter Harbor near Boston Harbor's entrance showing their dimensions and features.
Whaling was once an important activity in Massachusetts Bay during the 17th and 18th centuries. Small boats would venture out into the open ocean in search of North Atlantic right whales - often as far south as Stellwagen Bank - which were then captured and killed with lances before being brought back ashore where their oil could be rendered into petroleum, hastening their decline as critically endangered species.
Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary's waters have seen many different ships and cargoes since 1816; from colonial brigs trading between Salem and Jamaica or clippers carrying tea from China - to foreign commerce becoming an economic staple following the American Civil War.
The Age of Sail
Through history, sailing vessels have served as indispensable transport vehicles for trade, exploration, and warfare. Propelled either by wind power or engine propulsion, sailing vessels were ideal vehicles to quickly traverse water routes, opening new opportunities for commerce and exploration on the sea.
Sailing vessels were integral in spreading humans around the globe and connecting previously isolated continents and cultures. It is estimated that our evolutionary predecessor, Homo Erectus, built some of the first seaworthy ships, which could still sail today, approximately 800,000 years ago. Modern mega-sailing ships are direct descendants of these ancient vessels.
Early sailors were adept at using the sun, moon, wind, sea life, stars, and constellations to navigate their ships during the day and stars and constellations in the nighttime to navigate across vast oceans. Thanks to their impressive navigational skills they managed to take many long voyages and chart the seas.
Sailing ships were an integral component of Europe's voyages around Africa, China, and Japan; across the Atlantic to North and South America; and to explore Arctic ocean routes. Sailing ships carried scientists such as Charles Darwin on his second voyage aboard HMS Beagle.
Essex shipbuilders were known for their skill and craftsmanship. By 1790 there were 15 Essex shipyards that produced over 50 vessels annually for launch into service - these included fishing schooners, trading schooners, and larger passenger schooners that are still sailing today.
A typical Essex shipyard consisted of a plot of land equipped with a dock, a shop for yard tools, and enough storage space for timber used to construct ships. Each winter, shipbuilders would construct one vessel before fishing it during summer and selling it off in fall.
Sailors employed maneuvers like tacking and jibing to ensure that ships remained on course despite winds changing, thus eliminating rowers and speeding up travel times considerably.
Explore Boston Harbor aboard this spectacular Liberty Fleet of Tall Ships tour presented in partnership with local non-profit Boston By Foot. Take in stunning views of Downtown and its environs while learning how Boston's maritime history has shaped our city.
The Age of Steam
Before Boston became a walking city, it was predominantly a sailing town. Sailing ships dominated urban life for most of the first 350 years of Boston's existence and aboard the Liberty Star for an immersive trip back in time when Boston was an epicenter for shipbuilding.
Sailing ships reliant on wind and waves for propulsion were often beset by storms, leading to numerous wrecks off Massachusetts's coast - many carrying valuable cargoes of silver and gold, zoo animals, or human lives en route.
Even with these hazards, sea-going commerce thrived along the rocky coastal waters from Salem to Cape Cod, particularly coastwise shipping of bulk commodities such as granite, fish, coal,, and ice - transported aboard schooners - an American coastal sailing vessel of choice since colonial times.
In the mid-18th century, steam power emerged and would completely revolutionize industrial work: mill owners no longer had to locate their textile, glass, and ice factories near bodies of running water; instead these mills could operate year-round--even during drought conditions.
Steam power was an easy and free source of mechanical energy that helped humanity break free from nature's rhythms and curves, turning civilization into a master of the universe.
The steam engine's most striking contribution to decoupling was its ability to produce mechanical energy without coming into direct contact with its material substrate, creating an independent source of power by tapping into carbon reserves stored underground over millennia.
At the same time, however, steam engines helped the economy run more efficiently and smoothly. One significant innovation of the American railroad era was adopting railroad time as one of its key innovations, replacing solar and astronomical cycles with human economic activity rhythms for greater convenience.
The Modern Age
Boats have long been used for various purposes throughout human history. Over time, ship-building materials and designs have advanced to better accommodate various cultures' needs; in their infancy however, boats were used simply as means of water transport by early civilizations to explore new areas and trade with others.
By the 4th century BCE, larger ships had become feasible to construct and people began exploring oceans for new territories. The first sea-going vessels used the wind powering wingsails or sails to harness and harness different winds for propulsion; early sailors also developed techniques of tacking and jibing to keep the ship heading in desired directions.
Massachusetts coast has always been an essential location for shipping and maritime enterprises. Popular towns like Nantucket and Gloucester are widely known for their fishing traditions - indeed when first colonists first settled here they relied heavily on fish as a source of income.
American Independence was propelled forward by privateers - privately owned ships authorized by their governments to wage war against British vessels in the Atlantic Ocean - which operated out of Salem as one of their primary ports, often owned by wealthy citizens of the US.
Today, Massachusetts remains heavily reliant upon maritime industries as an economic driver. Coastal Massachusetts remains widely known for its seafood exports - this year alone alone Massachusetts exported millions of pounds of codfish and sea scallops.
If you're curious to gain more insight into Massachusetts' maritime history, there are numerous museums and historical sites where you can view and touch ships that would have been familiar to early settlers. One such place is Mystic Seaport - one of the nation's leading maritime museums which allows visitors to climb aboard iconic vessels such as Charles W. Morgan (world's last wooden whale ship) and L.A. Dunton (an early 20th-century New England fishing vessel) among many others. A 19th-century coastal village offers ship smiths coopers woodcarvers among other maritime trade craftspeople!
Post a Comment