The Jefferson : the history and archaeology of an American brig from the War of 1812 / Kevin James Crisman.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Microformat

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Crisman, Kevin James, 1959-

Contributor:

Schuyler, Robert, advisor.

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Penn dissertations--American civilization.

American civilization--Penn dissertations.

Local Subjects:

Penn dissertations--American civilization.

American civilization--Penn dissertations.

Physical Description:

xviii, 362 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm

Production:

1989.

Summary:

The first decades of the nineteenth century were a time of great innovation in North American shipbuilding. Shipwrights modified hull forms and sailing rigs or developed new types to improve vessel strength and speed. Their work contributed to both the development of naval architecture and the expansion of American maritime trade. Unfortunately many key details of the early shipbuilding trade have been lost, the result of poor record keeping and the perishable nature of wooden hulls.

A new field of research, nautical archaeology, has provided a means for retrieving many heretofore inaccessible details of maritime history. By examining the remains of wooden vessels, it is possible to obtain detailed primary evidence of design and construction practices, as well as information on living and working conditions for the people who sailed these craft.

This dissertation investigates the history and archaeology of a significant but previously little-known ship of the period: U.S. Navy brig Jefferson. Built on Lake Ontario by the renowned New York shipwright Henry Eckford, this 20-gun, 123-foot-long vessel sailed the waters of the lake during the War of 1812. Abandoned after the war, the Jefferson sank in Sackets Harbor, New York, where she was located in 1984 and made the subject of a four-year underwater study.

The first half of the dissertation reviews the documented history of the brig, including the events leading to her construction and the factors that influenced her design. The second half describes archaeological procedures used to uncover and record the sunken wreck and the artifacts contained within it. The construction of the hull is presented in detail and its design is compared with contemporary and later vessels. The study concludes that the Jefferson's design was adapted from fast-sailing small-craft types of the period, and represents a significant advance in the development of American naval architecture.

Notes:

Supervisor: Robert Schuyler.

Thesis (Ph.D. in American Civilization) -- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, 1989.

Includes bibliography.

Local Notes:

University Microfilms order no.:90-04779.

OCLC:

244968289