Traces the maritime routes and the historical networks that link port cities around the Atlantic world
Port Cities of the Atlantic World brings together a collection of essays that examine the centuries-long transatlantic transportation of people, goods, and ideas with a focus on the impact of that trade on what would become the American South. Employing a wide temporal range and broad geographic scope, the scholars contributing to this volume call for a sea-facing history of the South, one that connects that terrestrial region to this expansive maritime history. By bringing the study up to the 20th century in the collection's final section, the editors Jacob Steere-Williams and Blake C. Scott make the case for the lasting influence of these port cities—and Atlantic world history—on the economy, society, and culture of the contemporary South.
Jacob Steere-Williams holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and is associate professor of history at the College of Charleston.
Blake C. Scott holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas-Austin and is associate professor of international studies at College of Charleston.
"This sophisticated, creatively-designed volume advances our understanding of how port cities work as profound historical repositories of violence, resistance, culture, and memory. The book will hopefully be a model for many more 'sea-facing histories' to come."—Marcus Rediker, author of The Slave Ship: A Human History
"An innovative and engaging collection of essays, Port Cities of the Atlantic World compels readers to rethink what they know about the port cities of the southeastern United States—especially the quintessentially southern city of Charleston—and their connections to the broader Atlantic world."—Ethan J. Kytle, coauthor of Denmark Vesey's Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy
"Port Cities of the Atlantic World: Sea-Facing Histories of the US South would be suitable for inclusion in any academic or local library with a focus on historical or economic development in the Southeastern United States. The book could also be a valuable addition to any special library with a Southern history focus."—Southeastern Librarian
"[These essays] cover an impressive topical range and chronological span while remaining focused, coherent, and connected. [. . .] This collection [. . .] points to several useful paths of inquiry and demonstrates that ports serve as useful categories to write histories of Atlantic connection that remain grounded in specific places."—Journal of Southern History
