Every March we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. Today we know that women have played a great role in history. It wasn’t until the feminist movements of the 1960s and 70s, however, that those roles began to be more visible and women were included in the historical narrative. Historians began writing women into the key events that dominated historical studies of the time: politics, war, revolutions, and social movements. But many scholars saw women’s role in history existing beyond these themes, arguing that there was a world beyond high politics that was worth considering. This greater focus on women’s history came at a time when historians were moving beyond histories only focusing on “great men” to include social history such as the experience of working class and people of color.
These broader conversations unearthed tensions: Women are not a monolithic group, and differences of age, race, and class are an important part of our collective history. If you’re looking for some interesting maritime history featuring women, look no further! Our quarterly magazine PowerShips has some topics that would be great to include in the classroom. Two articles in particular come to mind and feature two trailblazing women, oddly enough, both named Kate!
Kate A. Sutton, one of the first women in the United States to operate a fleet of tugboats, may have been the inspiration for the famous character Tugboat Annie. One of the oldest tugboat operations in New England, the Providence Steamboat Company has played a significant role in commercial shipping on Narragansett Bay since its inception in 1881. The company was, and remains a family-run business. Thanks to a donation from the Mauran and McAllister families, SSHSA received the company records in 2007. Kate and Frank Mauran Sr. took over the family business in 1923 upon the death of her husband, Howard Sutton, who was president of the company since the early 1900s. Kate managed five tugs from the business office, reported the Providence Journal in 1928. You can download the article to read all about the company history here.
Another Kate made waves more recently in September 2015 when she became captain of the Celebrity Cruises’s Summit. At age 39, Captain Kate McCue became the first American woman, and the youngest woman ever, to rise to the level of master. When she was twelve years old, her family took a Thanksgiving cruise on the Big Red Boat. Leaving the boat, Kate told her parents that she wanted to be a cruise director “to plan all these fun things.” Her dad looked at her and said, “You can do anything you want in this world including driving this thing.” You can read more about her fascinating story here.
The “trailblazing Kates” are just two stories. Women have participated in and contributed to our maritime heritage throughout history. Women ran family businesses while men were out to sea. Some served as a stewardesses as more women began making transatlantic journeys. While some women broke glass ceilings and became captains, others traveled in a variety of classes on board ocean liners before air travel existed. Women have always been a part of maritime history. See the Additional Resources section below if you’re looking to expand your curriculum to include more women’s history topics.
Additional Resources:
Learn more about PowerShips Magazine. To join SSHSA and receive PowerShips Magazine as a membership benefit, click here.
The SS United States Conservancy has a women’s history feature up right now called Transatlantic Trailblazers: The Women Behind the Art, Design, and Engineering of the SS United States.
Learn more about women’s role in transatlantic travel in Maiden Voyages: Women and the Golden Age of Transatlantic Travel by Siân Evans. She tells many important histories of women on ships, but one interesting story to note is the “Unsinkable Stewardess,” Violet Jessop, who survived the Titanic and other maritime disasters.
Learn about Women in Maritime History from the San Francisco Maritime.
Check out this great resource on Women & The Sea by Mariner’s Museum. Topics include Life in Port, Going to Sea, Lighthouse Keepers, Women in the Military, and more.