19th Century Merchant Sail and Steam Ship Resources

The nineteeth century saw the creation of the clipper ship, the fall of sail, and the rise of steel and steam. The technological advances in the merchant and military fleets of this pivotal era led to increased global economic interaction via maritme trade, territorial expansion by the major powers, the growth of the passenger ship industry, etc. The sources in this libguide focus on the ships used by the merchant fleet during the nineteenth century such as clippers, packets, freighters, steamboats and many others. Academic journals and databases are excellent sources for information on these ships as well.