From Cloth to Revolution

The Ming treasure voyages consisted of 317 ships. Columbus had a fleet of 17. One changed the way the world went about trading and another opened the door to unknown people, riches, and property. These feats were made possible by the invention of the sail. Archaeologists and scientists alike have been unable to identify where the first sail originated. However, it led the way for exploration and a new beginning. The function of a sail allows the sail ships’ captain to sail into, perpendicular to, or away from the wind. This maximizes the potential places a ship can reach and the effectiveness in travel. Evolved from a simple square shape to a triangle for effectiveness, the sail has single-handedly revolutionized the way that human beings explore the world around them. Understanding basic laws of nature, exploration, and technological advancements are all contributions that the invention of the sail has to society and humans in general.

The sail has many contributions to human beings and society. Despite this, no one knows exactly where the sail derived. A common belief is that Mesopotamian people, needing a deeper fishing spot, found a way to travel to the middle of a lake. Regardless of its start, the sail never stopped progressing, even completely changing shape from a square to a triangular shape to maximize efficiency (“The Evolution…”). The basics of the sail functions through the laws of aerodynamics. Allen Plotkin wrote, “The boat will sail at a constant speed when the aerodynamic force generated on the sail is both equal to and opposite the corresponding aerodynamic force that the water exerts on the hull and keel” (1). To briefly explain the passage, it says that the sail utilizes the wind to push through the water, despite the resistance the water puts up. Though the exact laws were not discovered and made official until long after the Mesopotamian era, the sail demonstrates them perfectly. This function is essential for humans to increase their independence when it comes to exploration, and, in turn, technological advancements.

Furthermore, exploration has been a huge benefit that the sail and its’ uses have provided. One of the most obvious examples is the Ming treasure voyages. The Chinese had a revenue far above any other economic power during the 1400’s. However China sealed off its borders instead of exploring. The results were “catastrophic… with consequences we still see today” (Dick). Despite being more than able to explore, and then expand, China became isolated. The country suffered an economic drop that would not be renewed for centuries. China also lost the huge political advantage it had gained over the rest of the world. This advancement has not yet been regained, despite 500 years of effort. Exploration has proved to be beneficial to individual societies and human culture as a whole. The sail is one of the inventions that drove the ability to explore. People were able to travel farther distances faster and more effectively. By using the sea, and not just relying on manpower via rowing, advancement was not far off.

On the other hand, the sail contributed to society by aiding in the technological advancements in warfare. Though a decidedly negative contribution, it has greatly impacted humanity. The sail completely changed the way that naval warfare was carried out. It brought a complete revolution in the beginning of an efficient naval army (Lautenschlager). An example of this is the lateen sail. The lateen sail is the first triangular sail to be made, rather than the original square-shaped sail. In an article on the subject, it states, “The first boats were crude, powered by a combination of water currents and human muscle power” (“Development of…”). With the ability to more harness the wind, rather than hoping for good luck, man was able to go where and when they needed to go. Man was now able to use the element of surprise in warfare. They were able to come on ships instead of slowly marching. Transporting large weapons became much easier, as a well-made ship could house many weapons, and still went in the targeted direction. The sail allowed for a better system to carry out important tasks, which included war.

To recapitulate, contributions that the sail has made to humans and society as a general include understanding basic laws of nature, exploration, and technological advancements. The sail is not often thought of as a revolutionary invention. It lacks the general aesthetic that usually identifies something as ‘life-changing’. The sail has no fancy bells or whistles. Neither micro-technology nor nature defying feats rest in its humble attributes. However, it has shaped history more than anyone will ever know. Mankind has long since benefited from travelling and exploring the world around them. The positive also outweighs the negative. Despite the war and carnage that was now available to mankind, so many wonderful opportunities to grow and evolve were and are present. Helpful effects such as transoceanic trade and mingling of cultures were made possible by the sail, as well as advancement in the scientific community.

Work Cited

“Development of the Lateen Sail.” Science and its Times, Understanding the Social Significance of

Scientific Discovery, The Gale Group Inc., 2001, www.encyclopedia.com/. Accessed 17 Jan., 2019.

Dick, Steven J. “The Importance of Exploration.” Wilson, Jim, 22 Nov., 2007, www.nasa.gov/. Accessed 17 Jan., 2019.

Lautenschlager, Karl. International security, vol. 8, no. 2, The MIT Press. Accessed 17 Jan., 2019.

Plotkin, Allen. “Aerodynamics.” World Book Advanced, World Book, 2019,

www-worldbookonline.com.lili.idm.oclc.org/. Accessed 16 Jan., 2019.

“The Evolution of the Sail.” ASA, 30 Jan., 2012, https://asa.com/. Accessed 16 Jan., 2019.