From Sail to Steam
344 pages, 6 x 9
Paperback
Release Date:01 Mar 1998
ISBN:9780292723054
CA$40.95 Back Order
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From Sail to Steam

Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900

University of Texas Press

Second Place, Presidio La Bahia Award, Sons of the Republic of Texas

The Gulf Coast has been a principal place of entry into Texas ever since Alonso Alvarez de Pineda explored these shores in 1519. Yet, nearly five hundred years later, the maritime history of Texas remains largely untold. In this book, Richard V. Francaviglia offers a comprehensive overview of Texas' merchant and military marine history, drawn from his own extensive collection of maritime history materials, as well as from research in libraries and museums around the country.

Based on recent discoveries in nautical archaeology, Francaviglia tells the stories of the Spanish flotilla that wrecked off Padre Island in 1554 and of La Salle's flagship Belle, which sank in 1687. He explores the role of the Texas Navy in the Texas Revolution of 1835-1836 and during the years of the Texas Republic and also describes the Civil War battles at Galveston and Sabine Pass. Finally, he recounts major developments of the nineteenth century, concluding with the disastrous Galveston Hurricane in 1900. More than one hundred illustrations, many never before published, complement the text.

The maritime history of Texas is a critical but overlooked topic. This book is a significant contribution, a very nice new synthesis. It will be very useful for a general audience. J. Barto Arnold III, State Marine Archeologist, Texas Historical Commission
Richard V. Francaviglia is Professor of History at the University of Texas at Arlington, where he serves as Director of the Center for Greater Southwestern Studies and the History of Cartography.
  • Acknowledgments
  • Introduction
  • 1. Four Hundred Miles of Desolation and Beauty
  • 2. The Power of the Wind, 1500-1685
  • 3. Trouble on the Spanish Sea, 1685-1821
  • 4. Smoke on the Horizon, 1821-1836
  • 5. On the Waters of the Lone Star Republic, 1836-1845
  • 6. Improvements at Midcentury, 1845-1860
  • 7. Blockades and Blockade Runners, 1861-1865
  • 8. The End of an Era, 1865-1900
  • Conclusion: Texas Maritime History in Retrospect
  • Notes
  • Glossary of Nautical Terms
  • Bibliography
  • Index
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