Steamboat jack: the degenerate scion of a noble line? Cultural representations of the American sailor and the meaning of maritime in the nineteenth century great lakes maritime world

Author

• Dana S. Brown

Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Norman, Sandra

Abstract

By the nineteenth century, ships and sailors were firmly entrenched as symbols of American progress and nationalism; however, the development of the Great Lakes maritime world challenged the meaning of “maritime” and the cultural symbolism of the American sailor. A growing anxiety that the influence and power of New England traditions would diminish as the nation moved westward resulted in a shared discourse between religious reformers and influential leaders of Cleveland, Ohio. Their language ascribed the symbolism of Jack Tar as essential for maintaining cultural hegemony. This thesis examines how this power struggle transpired at the intersection of race, class and geopolitical rivalry, altering the depiction of Jack Tar to Steamboat Jack.

Extent

156 p.

Comments

Includes bibliography.|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.|Includes bibliography.

Recommended Citation

Brown, Dana S., "Steamboat jack: the degenerate scion of a noble line? Cultural representations of the American sailor and the meaning of maritime in the nineteenth century great lakes maritime world" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 873.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/873

Identifier

FA00004242

Format

pdf