| Summary |
The purpose of this site report is to examine the wreck of an early nineteenth-century French frigate located off the islands of Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean. The text presents a preliminary analysis of the archaeological remains of the vessel, L'Herminie, within a historical context. The location of this wreck has been previously identified; however, its archaeological and historical potential have never been fully explored. In 1995, volunteers from the Maritime Archaeology and History Society and students from East Carolina's Program in Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology conducted an archaeological investigation of L'Herminie's wreck site in conjunction with the Bermuda Maritime Museum. The fieldwork findings are presented within this thesis in a descriptive format with some analysis linking artifacts with the general outfit of a nineteenth- century French frigate and L'Herminie's outfit in particular. The historical documentation begins in the first chapter with an overview of events leading up to the conflict between France and Mexico called the Pastry War in 1838. L'Herminie was part of a squadron sent to blockade Mexican ports at the onset of this conflict. The vessel was lost off Bermuda on its return voyage to France and this event is also described in Chapter One. Chapter Two provides an overview of the frigate as a ship type that shows the importance of this type of vessel to France, especially in overseas naval actions. The design and outfit of frigates is also addressed, focusing on the design and outfit of L'Herminie. Chapters Three and Four present the discovery and archaeological investigation of L'Herminie's wreck site and a description of in situ materials and cultural materials associated with the vessel that were reviewed in museum collections both in Bermuda and the United States. At the conclusion of this research the original scope of work was broadened to include a brief discussion of the issue of interpreting the history of the vessel and using Bermuda's submerged archaeological resources in developing heritage tourism |
| General note | Submitted to the faculty of the Department of History. |
| General note | Advisor: Gordon P. Watts, Jr. |
| Dissertation note | M.A. East Carolina University 1999 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 165-170). |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | History. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |
