I have always been interested in history from a first-person account. Textbook and articles never satisfied me.
Textbooks reference dates, dimensions and the ship’s demise.
Articles summarizes the event into a neat paragraph or two but omit the human dimension.
Both may add irrelevant details or view the event with a financial perspective. What remains is an incomplete and inaccurate characterization of the disaster.
What I find most compelling are the accounts of participants and eyewitnesses who lend perspectives and insights.
For the four shipwreck books I have written to date, Let Glasgow Flourish , No Fighting Chance , Undiminshed Violence and Class Distinction, I have attempted to add the human perspective to these disasters.
I explore the details using the many digital resources available, searching for an eyewitness’s perspective.
There are many questions that need answered:
Why were these passengers aboard?
What were their initial and long term plans?
Were they related to one another?
How confident were they about the voyage?
What were their initial reactions to the tragedy?
What actions did they or others take they would later regret?
Beyond seeking answers to these questions I am also interested in connecting with the descendants of the survivors and victims. In a very modest way, I believe this effort can reclaim the voices of those long gone. In part, I hope this effort restores a measure of dignity that has been lost in their passing. They were courageous individuals that were willing to risk their lives at sea, hoping for a better life, one that most never realized.