The Age of Sail, from the late 15th to mid 19th centuries, saw the dominance of sailing vessels in trade and military. It led to the slave trade and piracy, but also promoted global community and trade. The era ended with the invention of steamships and diesel-powered ships. Tall ships are now used for recreation.
The Age of Sail is generally classified as between the late 15th and mid 19th centuries, when trade was dominated by the naval trade. This expansive era is responsible for the massive exodus from Europe to the Americas and the foundations of a truly global economy. The Age of Sail is also remembered for its destructive impact, as it dictated the slave trade through Europe and North America.
Before the end of the 15th century, most large sailing vessels were powered by oars. After the 15th, advances in sailing technology led to the dominance of sailing vessels. These vessels were preferable as they required less human power to operate and could travel according to the winds, rather than the oarsmen’s level of exhaustion. The Battle of Lepanto in 1570 is generally considered to be the last major military use of rowing vessels, before most nations switched to new versions of sailing vessels.
From the late 16th to early 17th centuries, the Age of Sail coincided with the Golden Age of Piracy around the world. The new world settlements, especially those in the Caribbean Sea, were far removed from their respective national governments and the laws of their homeland. The addition of constantly used trade routes made many areas an easy job for pirates.
The triangle trade between Europe, the Caribbean islands and Africa proved attractive to many independent pirates. Powerful merchant ships operated by French, Spanish, English and Dutch governments would carry slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and goods from the islands to Europe. Pirates operating in the Caribbean would attack government vessels, usually after the vessels had unloaded their human cargo and picked up cargo for return to Europe. Off the coast of Africa, such opportunists were called privateers and raided slave ships for plunder and captives.
In the perilous Age of Sail, new technologies were constantly being developed to help protect government vessels. Advances in naval warfare were enormous, and changes in the design of ships themselves allowed them to move faster, carry more cargo, and run more heavily armed. The downside of the innovations was that an advanced vessel, if captured by pirates or privateers, was possessed of superior technology.
The end of the age of sail was marked by the invention of steamships, which didn’t need to rely on questionable winds to get around. Although the first model steamships had been around since the early 17th century, it wasn’t until the American Civil War that they truly surpassed the massive clippers and tall ships that had ruled the oceans for centuries. The invention of diesel-powered ships would in turn displace steam-powered ships, and shipping fell out of its prime completely. Tall ships would later become recreational vehicles, still used in racing and by hobbyists.
The Age of Sail changed the world permanently and was an early promoter of a global community. The development of America, the traumatic results of the slave trade, and the establishment of a world trading system were all supervised by the sailing ships of the time. Today, many port cities offer walking tours of traditional ships from the age of sail, allowing modern-day visitors a glimpse into the lives of sailors and the ships that have guided the world for nearly four centuries.
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