Sailing the freshwater seas: A social history of life aboard the commercial sailing vessels of the United States and Canada on the Great Lakes, 1815-1930

The life of the Great Lakes seaman between 1815 and 1930 was characterized by three primary themes. First, there was conflict between emerging regional identity and the maritime traditions of saltwater. This conflict was expressed in the Great Lakes as defensiveness about the competency of local seamen and their dependence on local knowledge to navigate otherwise poorly improved rivers, lakes, and harbors. By the 1860s the conflict was polarized by the seasonal migration of saltwater sailors to freshwater and the subsequent animosity between native born and non-Great Lakes seamen. Second, mariners in the age of sail were constantly caught between the pull of the world ashore and that afloat, creating a duality of life that made it difficult for them to successfully function in both worlds simultaneously. This dichotomy created problems for the mariner and his family that were acerbated by increasing competition in the shipping industry and technological changes that impacted shipboard life. Third, sail seamen waged a nearly constant battle to maintain their traditional skills despite the onslaught of steam technology, modern management techniques, and professional standards. In the end, even labor unions and professional organizations founded by seamen trained in sail became dominated by those who embraced steam technology. Mariners with a strong, allegiance to sail were left behind. These themes were consistent across political boundaries, though the extent to which the daily life of Great Lakes mariners were influenced by these conflicts was more pronounced in the United States than in Canada because the Canadian government took steps to insure the competency and the competitiveness of all its aspiring, deck officers.