"The United States has long been dependent on the seas, but Americans know little about their maritime history. While Britain and other countries have established national museums to nurture their seagoing traditions, America has left that responsibility to private institutions. In this first-of-its-kind history, James M. Lindgren focuses on a half-dozen of these great museums, ranging from Salem's East India Marine Society, founded in 1799, to San Francisco's Maritime Museum and New York's South Street Seaport Museum, which were established in recent decades. Begun by activists with unique agendas--whether overseas empire, economic redevelopment, or cultural preservation--these museums have displayed the nation's complex interrelationship with the sea. Yet they all faced chronic shortfalls, as policymakers, corporations, and everyday citizens failed to appreciate the oceans' formative environment. Preserving Maritime America shows how these institutions shifted course to remain solvent and relevant and demonstrates how their stories tell of the nation's rise and decline as a commercial maritime power"--

Introduction. From cabinets of curiosities to remade waterfronts -- "That every mariner may possess the history of the world": a cabinet for the East India Marine Society of Salem -- "From pursuit to preservation": the new Bedford Whaling Museum -- "Stout hearts make a safe ship": individual and community at Mystic Seaport -- "To make the American people more ship-minded": shipbuilding and sea culture at the Mariners' Museum -- "A sailing ship stirs the general public like nothing else": remaking San Francisco's waterfront and identity -- "The street of ships": creating South Street Seaport -- Conclusion. "A loosely knit net of regional enterprises."

Preserving South Street Seaportatells the fascinating story, from the 1960s to the present, of the South Street Seaport District of Lower Manhattan. Home to the original Fulton Fish Market and then the South Street Seaport Museum, it is one of the last neighborhoods of late 18th- and early 19th-century New York City not to be destroyed by urban development. In 1988, South Street Seaport became the city's #1 destination for visitors. Featuring over 40 archival and contemporary black-and-white photographs, this is the first history of a remarkable historic district and maritime museum.a aaLindgren skillfully tells the complex story of this unique cobblestoned neighborhood. aComprised of deteriorating, 4-5 story buildings in what was known as the Fulton Fish Market, the neighborhood was earmarked for the erection of the World Trade Center until New Jersey forced its placement one mile westward. After Penn StationOCOs demolition had angered many New York citizens, preservationists mobilized in 1966 to save this last piece of ManhattanOCOs old port and recreate its fabled 19th-century Street of Ships. The South Street Seaport and the World Trade Center became the yin and yang of Lower ManhattanOCOs rebirth. In an unprecedented move, City Hall designated the museum as developer of the twelve-block urban renewal district.aaaHowever, the Seaport Museum, whose membership became the largest of any history museum in the city, was never adequately funded, and it suffered with the real estate collapse of 1972. The city, bankers, and state bought the museumOCOs fifty buildings and leased them back at terms that crippled the museum financially. That led to the controversial construction of the Rouse Company's New Fulton Market (1983) and Pier 17 mall (1985). Lindgren chronicles these years of struggle, as the defenders of the people-oriented museum and historic district tried to save the original streets and buildings and the largest fleet of historic ships in the country from the schemes of developers, bankers, politicians, and even museum administrators.aaThough the Seaport MuseumOCOs finances were always tenuous, the neighborhood and the museum were improving until the tragedy of 9/11. But the prolonged recovery brought on dysfunctional museum managers and indifference, if not hostility, from City Hall. Superstorm Sandy then dealt a crushing blow. Today, the future of this pioneering museum, designated by Congress as AmericaOCOs National Maritime Museum, is in doubt, as its waterfront district is eyed by powerful commercial developers. aWhileaPreserving South Street Seaportareveals the pitfalls of privatizing urban renewal, developing museum-corporate partnerships, and introducing a professional regimen over a peopleOCOs movement, it also tells the story of how a seedy, decrepit piece of waterfront became a wonderful venue for all New Yorkers and visitors from around the world to enjoy. aThis book will appeal to a wide audience of readers in the history and practice of museums, historic preservation, urban history and urban development, and contemporary New York City.a a This book is supported by a grant from Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund.a"

The Fyddeye Guide to America's Maritime History is a one-of-a-kind directory for tall ships, lighthouses, historic warships, maritime museums, and other attractions you can visit today that preserve, protect, and interpret our nation's maritime history. Use the Guide to plan a family trip, map out a heritage travel experience, research your local history, or find a heritage organization to help you discover the sea captain in your family tree. The Guide covers maritime history attractions in the Lower 48 states, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. More than 200 authentic tall ships, many offering travel excursions and educational experiences lasting from an hour to several weeks. More than 300 historic commercial vessels, such as ferries, tugs, and steamboats, as well as warships, including battleships, aircraft carriers, destroyers, and small craft dating from the 18th century to the middle 20th century that you can visit. More than 750 photogenic lighthouses and lightships grouped by East Coast, West Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Great Lakes. More than 260 family-friendly maritime museums in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Three maps with suggested itineraries for discovering lighthouses in New England, California, and Michigan. Special articles on the tall ship Lady Washington, forgotten steamboats on the Okanogan River, the best lighthouse books, and major maritime festivals. Twenty-five professional photos of key ships and other attractions. The Fyddeye Guide to America's Maritime History complements Fyddeye, http: //www.fyddeye.com, the Internet's most comprehensive website dedicated to maritime history and heritage. Fyddeye also features an online community that discusses news about maritime history and current issues, including preservation of historic ships. You can also share photos and vote in polls on current events. Visit Fyddeye's pages on Facebook and follow Fyddeye on Twitter.

Unassuming but formidable, American maritime insurers used their position at the pinnacle of global trade to shape the new nation. The international information they gathered and the capital they generated enabled them to play central roles in state building and economic development. During the Revolution, they helped the U.S. negotiate foreign loans, sell state debts, and establish a single national bank. Afterward, they increased their influence by lending money to the federal government and to its citizens. Even as federal and state governments began to encroach on their domain, maritime insurers adapted, preserving their autonomy and authority through extensive involvement in the formation of commercial law. Leveraging their claims to unmatched expertise, they operated free from government interference while simultaneously embedding themselves into the nation's institutional fabric. By the early nineteenth century, insurers were no longer just risk assessors. They were nation builders and market makers. Deeply and imaginatively researched, Underwriters of the United States uses marine insurers to reveal a startlingly original story of risk, money, and power in the founding era.