The Age of Sail

Sail and cannon carry European powers onto every ocean and into global trade.

Specifications & Metrics

era

c. 1571 – 1862

Core Principles & Analysis

• Sailing warships dominated naval warfare from Lepanto to the ironclads.
• Global sea routes carried silver, spices, and enslaved people between continents.
• The era closed as steam power replaced sail in the nineteenth century.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Age of Sail