Ships and Shipwrecks of the Americas

Catalog description

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. COURSE OVERVIEW. Explores how ships and seafaring shaped the history and culture of the Western Hemisphere from 1492 through the American Civil War. Draws on archaeological discoveries and historical records to examine exploration, colonization, trade, naval conflict and technological innovation through the lens of maritime material culture. Reviews case studies of shipwrecks and other maritime sites, revealing the vessels, technologies and practices that connected cultures, facilitated economic systems and transformed warfare. From Indigenous watercraft to colonial gunboats, steamboats and Civil War submarines, engages with the archaeological evidence that illuminates change and continuity in the maritime world of the Americas. May incorporate topics that respond to current events, student interests or emerging issues in nautical archaeology of the Americas. TOPICS AND THEMES. Ship construction; ship rigging; seafaring technologies; European and American shipwreck archaeological case studies; Iberian voyages of exploration; Basque whaling; Spain’s maritime empire; Northern European maritime exploration; colonization; technological developments; economics and history of the Western Hemisphere; European-Indigenous relationships; Indigenous watercraft; Anglo-French wars; piracy and privateering; Revolutionary War; War of 1812; Shipping in the Commercial Age; canal transport; horse-powered boats; steamboats; packet ships; clipper ships; whaling fleets; Arctic exploration; Civil War naval warfare. Prerequisites: Junior or senior classification or approval of instructor; also taught at Galveston campus.