The Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies at Mystic Seaport has been awarded a “We the People” grant of $166,094 from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH). The grant will support “The American Maritime People,” a six-week college and university teacher institute for 25 participants on American maritime history from the colonial era to the present.
As the third NEH Institute offered at Munson, the 2010 course will build on the latest research in studies of the sea, providing teachers with the opportunity to enhance course offerings by studying the influence of maritime activities on U.S. history and culture. Through 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 six weeks of study will be Mystic Seaport. As the nation’s leading maritime museum, Mystic Seaport includes 19 acres, 60 historic buildings, more than 500 traditional watercraft, 1,000,000 manuscript pieces and more than 1,000,000 artifacts. While the seminar hall will be the focus of the institute, the Museum and its maritime region will be used to inform further study through tours and exploration. The region has a long history of maritime activity, from colonial shipbuilding, fishing, whaling and merchant trade to the current presence of nuclear submarine construction and operations. The University of Connecticut's maritime campus and the US Coast Guard Academy are located nearby.
The stipend for NEH Fellows is $4,500 for the six-week institute, covering travel expenses, housing and food for the summer session. Books and other resources are also to be purchased with stipend monies.
These projects are designed primarily for teachers of American undergraduate students, but other qualified scholars and graduate students may apply. Completed applications should be postmarked no later than March 2, 2010, and submitted to:
Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier
Attn: “The American Maritime People”
Munson Institute
Mystic Seaport
75 Greenmanville Ave.
Mystic, CT 06355-0990
glenn.gordinier@mysticseaport.org
Faculty will include: Dr. Mary K Bercaw-Edwards, University of Connecticut; Dr. James T. Carlton, Williams College; Dr. Jeffery Bolster, University of New Hampshire; Dr. Glenn S. Gordinier, Mystic Seaport [Co-Director]; Dr. John Hattendorf, Naval War College; Dr. James O. Horton, George Washington University; Dr. John O. Jensen, Sea Education Association; Dr. Rod Mather, University of Rhode Island; Dr Matthew McKenzie, University of Connecticut; Dr. Lisa Norling, University of Minnesota; Dr. Marcus Rediker, University of Pittsburgh; Dr. Eric Paul Roorda, Bellarmine University [Co-Director]; Dr. Helen Rozwadowski, University of Connecticut and Dr. Daniel Vickers, University of California at San Diego.
For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org/neh.
Each summer, graduate-level courses in American Maritime Studies are offered at Mystic Seaport through the Munson Institute. The Museum’s tall ships, historic buildings and scenic waterfront are the campus of the Munson Institute from late June through late July. For more information, visit www.mysticseaport.org.
