SSHSA’s mission is driven by our commitment to innovative educational initiatives designed to captivate and inspire learners of all ages. We believe that education is a transformative force that empowers individuals, fosters curiosity, and ignites a passion for lifelong learning. By leveraging creative approaches and cutting-edge resources, SSHSA strives to engage diverse audiences, from young students to lifelong learners, in exploring the rich tapestry of maritime history. Our initiatives are thoughtfully crafted to not only impart knowledge but also to instill a deep appreciation for the maritime heritage that shapes our world. Through these efforts, we strive to create an inclusive learning environment that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a sense of community among learners of every background.
A cornerstone of this commitment is the groundbreaking program, STEAMing Into The Future. This immersive educational experience seamlessly blends Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) disciplines, providing free, online educational modules tailored for K-12 students. Beyond just offering content, this program instills a profound appreciation for maritime history through the engaging lens of STEAM. STEAMing Into The Future features over 30 interactive educational modules, complemented by activity lessons and topic-specific oral histories designed to actively engage students in their learning journey. To enhance the educational experience, comprehensive teacher guides are provided, facilitating group discussions and reinforcing key learning objectives.
In addition, SSHSA launched the Ship History, Influence, and Power Series (SHIPS) oral history docuseries in 2021. SHIPS offers a compelling narrative, weaving together personal accounts and historical insights to provide a vivid portrayal of maritime heritage. Through the SHIPS series, learners can engage with stories that highlight the experiences of immigrants, the significance of maritime trade, and the leisure activities associated with maritime culture.
‘For the bread that you eat and the biscuits you nibble, The sweets that you suck and the joints that you carve, They are brought to you daily by all us Big Steamers – And if any one hinders our coming you’ll starve!’
Rudyard Kipling, Big Steamers, 1914-1918
Steamships have radically altered the course of history through immigration, trade, and leisure. This technological advancement began in the early nineteenth century and has had far reaching cultural consequences that continue to this day. The transition from sail to steam power is the focus of this educational online repository made possible by grants from the National Park Service’s National Maritime Heritage Program and the Heritage Harbor Foundation. Educators, students, the general public, and avid ship lovers can view archival materials from the Steamship Historical Society of America’s collection. These education modules focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics, and Social Studies. By exploring primary and secondary source material, users can see for themselves the ways in which this movement has affected the course of history.
The USS Niagara or US Brig Niagara was the relief flagship of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Image from the Posner Maritime Art Collection at the SSHSA Archives.
This period of transition from sailing to steam-powered vessels, roughly 1809-1909, impacted travel time, reliability, and the movement of goods and people. Tides, currents, and weather patterns affected sailing ships, leaving little predictability for travel. In the late nineteenth century, weather could delay a transatlantic voyage by days or weeks. These trips already took anywhere from four to eight weeks. Imagine the cost of such delays and the impact it would have on crew members and passengers, such as how to ration food. Preparing for all these scenarios took great skill.
As early as the 1830s, steamships allowed for greater speed, maneuverability, and less reliance on the weather. Ships could now travel across the Atlantic in no more than eighteen days. Travel time continued to shorten with improved engine and hull designs. Increased competition among major steamship companies created technological advances as well. With these improvements and competition came lower prices and increased efficiency. This increased the transportation of goods and people at a rate unknown to sailing vessels.
Steamships capitalized on a new tourism industry created by these advances in technology. With this increase in tourism came an exchange of cultural ideas, food, and architecture, to name a few. Tourism and the “First-Class Experience” played a key role for steamships. The largest portion of revenue came from immigrants traveling in third class steerage and contributed to this intercultural exchange as well. Technological advances to the steam engine and propulsion systems and the competition among steamship companies ensured rapid evolution. Land-based industrial applications such as mills, machine tool and die manufactures, mines, and other forms of transportation like the railroad locomotive and the steam-powered automobiles benefited from these improvements. This nineteenth century steam technology eventually resulted in the steam turbine and then to the modern oil-fired steam turbine that remains in widespread use today both in land and on the sea.
