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Black Jacks : African American Seamen in the Age of Sail by W Jeffrey Bolster; American Council of Learned Societies is a nonfiction available to read on EtoBox.

What is Black Jacks : African American Seamen in the Age of Sail about?

<p><P>Few Americans, black or white, recognize the degree to which early African American history is a maritime history. W. Jeffrey Bolster shatters the myth that black seafaring in the age of sail was limited to the Middle Passage. Seafaring was one of the most significant occupations among both enslaved and free black men between 1740 and 1865. Tens of thousands of black seamen sailed on lofty clippers and modest coasters. They sailed in whalers, warships, and privateers. Some were slaves, forced to work at sea, but by 1800 most were free men, seeking liberty and economic opportunity aboard ship.<P>Bolster brings an intimate understanding of the sea to this extraordinary chapter in the formation of black America. Because of their unusual mobility, sailors were the eyes and ears to worlds beyond the limited horizon of black communities ashore. Sometimes helping to smuggle slaves to freedom, they were more often a unique conduit for news and information of concern to blacks.<P>But for all its opportunities, life at sea was difficult. Blacks actively contributed to the Atlantic maritime culture shared by all seamen, but were often outsiders within it. Capturing that tension, <i>Blac

Who reads Black Jacks : African American Seamen in the Age of Sail?

Author

W Jeffrey Bolster; American Council of Learned Societies

Publisher

Harvard University, Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies

Published

1997

Language

EN

ISBN

9780674028470

Category

nonfiction

Subjects

History, Science, Business

Rating

3.89 / 5 (61 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-14