The Great Age of Sail

In the eighteenth century, Salem developed into a major fishing, shipbuilding and maritime trade center. Thanks to its burgeoning codfish trade with the West Indies and Europe, the town grew and prospered. As Salem grew, so too did the power struggle between the colonies and England. In 1774, a Provincial Congress was organized in Salem and the political revolution began. Two months before the battles in Lexington and Concord, skirmishes broke out in Salem. Salem's fleet contributed mightily to the war effort, capturing or sinking 455 British vessels.

By 1790, Salem was the sixth largest city in the country, and the richest per capita. International trade with Europe, the West Indies, China, Africa and Russia produced great wealth and prosperity in Salem. Entrepreneurial spirit and unflappable courage among Salem's sea captains enhanced Salem's success as a dominant seaport. Salem merchants built magnificent homes, established museums and other cultural institutions.

Salem architect and wood carver Samuel McIntire (1757-1811) was employed by many of the sea captains and is responsible for stunning Federal-style architecture and ornamental carving throughout Salem. McIntire's peak years as an artist coincided with Salem's peak years as a successful shipping port. This combination has left Salem with one of the grandest collections of Federal style architecture in the world.

Salem is home to the tall ship Friendship. Still under construction, Friendship is a scale replica of a 1797 East Indiaman merchant tall ship. At 171-feet in length, Friendship is the largest wooden, Coast Guard Certified sailing vessel to be built in New England in the twentieth century! During the summer of 2000 visitors can witness shipwrights as they work to install the rigging on Friendship at the National Park Service Maritime Site. Beginning in 2001 visitors will be able to climb aboard to experience first-hand the tremendous courage and enterprise it took to live a life at sea.

In addition to the legacy of homes and buildings, Salem's sea captains left behind a museum through which to share their exploration with Salem residents and visitors to the city. The Peabody Essex Museum is the oldest continually operated museum in the country and was founded by sea captains in 1799. In addition to collections from around the globe, visitors to the Peabody Essex Museum can see the model of the Friendship used to recreate the ship.