In the years following the War of 1812, American merchants and seafarers expanded the young nations’ global reach, bringing trade goods to and from distant islands. The Act Prohibiting the Importation of Slaves was passed in 1807 and enacted in 1808, but legal trade with Africans and Europeans nations with African colonies continued and flourished. This journal penned by Edward Watson, a mariner from Newport, Rhode Island offers a glimpse into the often harsh and unusual life of the nineteenth-century merchant mariner.
Previously unpublished, this annotated and illustrated edition, along with photographs of the original journal, draws readers into daily life at se in a bygone era.
About the Authors:
Timothy J. Demy is Professor of Military Ethics at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He received a PhD from Salve Regina University, a ThD from Dallas Theological Seminary, and MSt from the University of Cambridge. He is the author and editor of numerous books on topics in history, ethics, and theology.
Jeffrey M. Shaw is Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy at the U.S. Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He received a PhD from Salve Regina University and is the author, co-author, and editor of several books and many articles.
