Picture the sweep of water spanning north and south of Salem, once a world-famous seaport. Historically the Salem Harbor was the site of one of the major international ports in the colonies; in 1790 Salem Harbor was a world-famous seaport and sixth-largest in the United States of America. During the American Revolutionary War merchant ships were enlisted as privateers to augment the ill-prepared Continental Navy.
When the 13 colonies declared independence, the Continental Navy had only 31 ships. Letters of Marque were issued to private merchant ships to authorize them to attack enemy merchant ships. George Washington's Army numbered 11,000 men; there were 11,000 privateers at sea in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and between Ireland and...
The harbor was defended by Fort Miller in Marblehead from 1632 to 1865, and by Fort Pickering on Winter Island from 1643 to 1865. Now the harbor is used for commercial and recreational purposes, and the Salem Maritime National Historic Site is very popular with tourists from around the world. Notice the water stretching toward Winter Island and Marblehead, and the shoreline where commerce and recreation continue today.