The Early Republic and the Sea: Essays on the Naval and Maritime History of the Early United States - Softcover

A multi-disciplinary group of distinguished scholars explores the rich diversity of the early republic's seafaring heritage. This unique volume constitutes a powerful statement about the current strength and potential of early American naval and maritime studies.

Part I, "Maritime Commerce and the Sea Services," covers the diversity of naval and maritime operations during the period. Subjects treated include smuggling in New England, the American model for the China trade, the undeclared naval war with France, the controversial attack by an American warship on a British merchantman shortly after the end of the War of 1812, and adjudicating the slave trade. Part II, "James Fenimore Cooper and the Birth of American Maritime Experience," includes four essays devoted to the great American literary figure's involvement in historical controversy, contributions to writing naval history and sea fiction, and the inspiration provided by his own nautical experience. Together the eleven essays constitute a powerful statement about the current strength and potential of early American maritime studies.