<section><h2><h2><strong>Boats of Many Sizes</strong></h2></h2><p><p>The Great Lakes have a long history of boating - for fishing, moving people and cargo, sightseeing, scientific research and more. Test your knowledge of some of the boats that have sailed the Great Lakes throughout history - and today!</p></p></section><section><h2><h2>The boat history of the Great Lakes begins with the Native Americans who built birch bark boats. These boats were lightweight, easy to maneuver and could hold a relatively heavy weight. They could even be repaired during the course of a journey, using materials close at hand. </h2><h2><br></h2><h2>It is not known when the Native Americans first began building these boats, but tribes have lived in the region and used the waterways for an estimated 10,000 years. </h2><h2><br></h2><h2><strong>What boat am I?</strong></h2></h2><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h3><h2>By the 1600s French Fur traders had begun to use the canoe as a way to explore and expand their trapping and trading business. To adapt to their needs, the voyageurs lengthened and expanded the traditional canoe to increase its capacity and invented this boat.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>The French fur companies used these great freight canoes in similar ways to today’s modern trucks. They ranged from 7 to 11 meters (25 to 36 feet) in length and carried 1,016 to 3,048 kilograms (1 to 3 tons) of cargo along with a crew of 4 to 8 people.</h2><p><br></p><h2><strong>What boat am I?</strong></h2></h3><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h3><h2>After the canoe-shaped boats, larger wooden boats and sailing ships became popular. Even in the 1830s, canoes were still in popular use. After 1836, it became clear that Chicago was becoming a port city, where sailing vessels were very useful. Up until the 1880s, these sailing boats transported a great deal of grain and lumber around the Great Lakes. </h2><h2><br></h2><h2>These boats were big, but only rarely would they be longer than 260 meters (200 feet). During the winter, as many as 500 of these boats could be found in the Chicago River, in order to be repaired for the next shipping season.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>Today, these vessels are found around the Great Lakes where they are used for sightseeing, education and research. </h2><h2><br></h2><h2><strong>What boat am I? </strong></h2></h3><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h3><h2>By the late 1880s, these boats became popular for several reasons. They were very reliable, able to operate on a tight schedule and did not depend on the wind to function. The first of these boats were paddle wheel vessels, and then in 1841, they were powered by propellers. Eventually, the propeller-driven ships became the most popular boats on the Great Lakes and in the oceans. </h2><h2><br></h2><h2>This style ruled the lakes in the 1900s as passenger ships, package steamers and bulk carriers. These vessels could carry over 12,000 tons each.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2><strong>What boat am I? </strong></h2></h3><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h3><h2>Today, these boats are found most often on the Great Lakes. Originally sailing vessels were largely used, but these have practically disappeared, giving place to steamers, which have grown steadily in size to finally become this giant boat.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2>These modern vessels are 183 meters (600 feet) long and can carry 14,000 tons. This type of vessel can be loaded in a few minutes, and unloaded in six or eight hours. These ships follow certain well-defined routes and carry things such as: iron ore, coal, wheat, corn and other grains.</h2><h2><br></h2><h2><strong>What boat am I? </strong></h2></h3><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h3><h2>Do you remember the names of these boats? Test your knowledge and <strong>choose the photo where these boats are correctly named!</strong></h2></h3><p><h2><br></h2></p></section><section><h2></h2><p><p>The Great Lakes have a long history of boating. Native Americans have lived in the region and used boats on the Great Lakes for thousands of years. Goods and people have arrived to the region by boat for several centuries, and a large shipping industry continues to thrive in the Great Lakes. If you visit a Great Lake, you may see goods being shipped in and out of the region on freighters, recreational boaters out sightseeing or fishing, or paddlers enjoying a sunny day.</p><p><br></p></p></section><section><h3><p>The Great Lakes have a long history of boating. Native Americans have lived in the region and used boats on the Great Lakes for thousands of years. Goods and people have arrived to the region by boat for several centuries, and a large shipping industry continues to thrive in the Great Lakes. If you visit a Great Lake, you may see goods being shipped in and out of the region on freighters, recreational boaters out sightseeing or fishing, or paddlers enjoying a sunny day.</p></h3></section>