| Tides in the Affairs of Men: The Social History of Elizabethan Seamen, 1580-1603 Contributor(s): Fury, Cheryl A. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0313319480 ISBN-13: 9780313319488 Publisher: Praeger OUR PRICE: $131.67 Product Type: Hardcover Published: December 2001 Annotation: The age of maritime expansion and the Anglo-Spanish War have been analyzed by generations of historians, but nearly all studies have emphasized events and participants "at the top." This book examines the lives and experiences of the men of the Elizabethan maritime community during a particularly volatile period of maritime history. The seafaring community had to contend with simultaneous pressures from many different directions. Shipowners and merchants, motivated by profit, hired seamen to sail voyages of ever-increasing distances, which taxed the health and capabilities of 16th-century crews and vessels. International tensions in the last two decades of Elizabeth's reign magnified the risks to all seamen, whether in civilian employment or on warships. The advent of open warfare with Spain in 1585 resulted in a privateering war against the Spanish Empire, seen by some seamen as one of the few boons of the conflict. The other major development was the introduction of impressment, a deeply resented aspect of any naval war and one that brought great hardship to seamen and their families. The relationship between the Crown and its seafarers was a "pull-haul" between a state beset by financial problems of fighting a protracted war on several fronts and employees forced to work in dangerous conditions for substandard wages. The stresses of the war years tell us much about the dynamic of the maritime community, their expectations, and their coping strategies. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | Military - Naval - History | Europe - Great Britain - General - History | Social History |
| Dewey: 359.109 |
| LCCN: 2001019998 |
| Series: Contributions in Medical Studies, |
| Physical Information: 0.97" H x 6.34" W x 9.5" (1.26 lbs) 312 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 16th Century - Chronological Period - 17th Century - Cultural Region - British Isles |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: The age of maritime expansion and the Anglo-Spanish War have been analyzed by generations of historians, but nearly all studies have emphasized events and participants at the top. This book examines the lives and experiences of the men of the Elizabethan maritime community during a particularly volatile period of maritime history. The seafaring community had to contend with simultaneous pressures from many different directions. Shipowners and merchants, motivated by profit, hired seamen to sail voyages of ever-increasing distances, which taxed the health and capabilities of 16th-century crews and vessels. International tensions in the last two decades of Elizabeth's reign magnified the risks to all seamen, whether in civilian employment or on warships. The advent of open warfare with Spain in 1585 resulted in a privateering war against the Spanish Empire, seen by some seamen as one of the few boons of the conflict. The other major development was the introduction of impressment, a deeply resented aspect of any naval war and one that brought great hardship to seamen and their families. The relationship between the Crown and its seafarers was a pull-haul between a state beset by financial problems of fighting a protracted war on several fronts and employees forced to work in dangerous conditions for substandard wages. The stresses of the war years tell us much about the dynamic of the maritime community, their expectations, and their coping strategies. |