The age of sail, technically and formally speaking, is the period in which international trade and naval warfare were both dominated by sailing ships.

The age of sail runs roughly from the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, the last significant engagement in which oar-propelled galleys played a major role, to the Battle of Hampton Roads in 1862, in which the steam-powered CSS Virginia destroyed the sailing ships USS Cumberland and USS Congress, finally culminating with the advance of steam power, rendering sail power unnecessary.

This is a significant period during which square rigged sailing ships carried European settlers to many parts of the world in one of the most important human migrations in recorded history.

See also

• Age of Discovery
• Naval tactics in the Age of Sail
• Golden age of sail

Sailing | Age of Discovery | Navigation