Age of sail - Definition and Overview

The age of sail 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 (1571), the last significant engagement in which galleys played a major part, to the Battle of Hampton Roads (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

Age of Sail is a series of video games developed by Akella and published by Global Star Software.