MAST 201(F,S) America and the Sea, 1600-Present (Same as History 352) (Offered only at Mystic Seaport.) (W)
This course focuses on the history of America's relationship to the sea from the age of discovery through the heyday of merchant sail to the triumph of steam and the challenges of the twentieth century. Readings in primary sources and secondary works on the social, economic, and diplomatic implications of maritime activities culminate in a research paper. Topics such as shipbuilding, whaling, and fisheries are studied through museum exhibits and artifacts in the material culture component of the course. Format: lecture/discussion, including coastal and near-shore field trips, 10 days offshore, and an independent, primary source research paper. Requirements: an hour test, two papers, and a final exam. Student papers will be a 5-page minimum and a 15-page minimum essay. The 15-page paper will be critiqued in three steps, as an outline, a draft, and a final paper, with attention to reasoning and style.
Satisfies one semester of the Division II requirement.
Hour: TBA GORDINIER