Spanning the centuries from maritime activities before Columbus to the nation’s maritime involvement today, this rich, complex archive provides a new history of the U.S. from the fundamental perspective of the sea, river and lakes. It’s the most comprehensive maritime history of the United States available today. Written by six prominent scholars in the field, it incorporates considerations of art, literature, and poetry along with discussions or the economic, political, diplomatic, and technological foundations of American maritime history. The narrative is punctuated and augmented with quotations from period documents that add insight and expand on the human dimensions of America’s relationship with the sea.