June 25-July 27, 2012

Overview:

"The American Maritime People" NEH Institute at Mystic Seaport will consider the influence of maritime activities on U.S. history and culture. College and University professors are invited to apply. This, the fourth such NEH Institute, will build on the latest research in an area of increasing scholarly interest. In a series of seminars, "The American Maritime People" will employ interdisciplinary perspectives on American maritime studies, with an emphasis on the most recent social, cultural and ecological approaches.

The campus for the five weeks of study will be Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea. As the largest maritime museum in the United States, Mystic Seaport includes 17 acres of riverfront property, 60 historic buildings, 550 traditional watercraft, 1,000,000 manuscript pieces, and many thousands of artifacts. While the seminar hall will be the focus of the institute, Mystic Seaport and the maritime region of which it is a part will be used to inform further study through tours and exploration.