Salem: Maritime Salem In The Age Of Sail

by U.S. National Park Service (Producer)

Book by

Genres: Nonfiction, American History, History

160 pages, Paperback

First published February 13, 2003

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful and interesting guide to the maritime industry in Salem, Massachusetts, throughout its golden period and beyond. Salem was once one of the American colonies' and then the fledgling United States' most important ports, opening shipping trade as far away as China and South Pacific. The pictures, diagrams, and recorded artifacts bring the accounts vibrantly to life. Accounts drawn from seafarer's logs, letters, and public records show a small port giving calculated chance-takers the opportunity to turn a profit. Historical context of local competition and international conflict help paint a more complete picture of how Salem came to play on the world stage. Though published last in 2009, this reads more like a 1950s text book at times, focusing entirely on white men's business, with women mentioned namelessly as "the wife of," even in a case where a woman's painting is included as a visual artifact, or in others where marriage alliances are discussed as a core component of social dynamics in the city. Mentions of prostitution are more regular than accounts of homemaking, which represent important usages of the goods brought forth from afar and those procured in Salem. This book would be more appropriately subtitled Maritime Activity in Salem's Age of Sail, rather than its current title, which implies a more holistic look at the city and its inhabitants.

[Alessandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fabulous, compact little history of the port of Salem produced by the U.S. National Park Service. Detailed and helpful, it is jam-packed with full-color paintings, photographs, architecture, prints, documents, artifacts, and portraits. There are detailed drawings of sailing ships with the parts labeled, drawings of how tools were used and things were done, and a map of the park. Apart from those drawings, every image this book is primary source material.

Just as a note, this is entirely about Salem's rich maritime history. The Salem Witch Trials (which didn't take place in Salem, anyway, but in Danvers farther inland, which was then called Salem Village) are barely mentioned.

[M.P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on Salem's maritime past, with lots of helpful maps & photos. Excellent start to research on this city.