Title: A sea of misadventures : Shipwreck and survival in early America /
Authors: Mitchell-Cook, Amy; University of South Carolina.
Year: 2013
Subjects: Shipwrecks America History.; Survival at sea America History.; Shipwrecks; Survival at sea; America
Abstract: "A Sea of Misadventures examines more than one hundred documented shipwreck narratives from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century as a means to understanding gender, status, and religion in the history of early America. Though it includes all the drama and intrigue afforded by maritime disasters, the book's significance lies in its investigation of how the trauma of shipwreck affected American values and behavior. Through stories of death and devastation, Amy Mitchell-Cook examines issues of hierarchy, race, and gender when the sphere of social action is shrunken to the dimensions of a lifeboat or deserted shore.
Contents: Fact or fiction? The Publication of American Shipwreck Narratives -- The legalities of loss, wreck, and ruin -- God, nature, and the role of religion in shipwreck -- They worked like horses but behaved like men -- To honor their worth, beauty, and accomplishments -- Chaos and cannibalism on the high seas -- Portuguese narratives : A Comparative Perspective.