Renaissance Unit Final Assessment

    The Renaissance was arguably the first time in history during which innovation and change was largely encouraged and actually achieved on such a large scale. This led to radical new technologies, philosophies, art techniques, and more. One such innovation in the realm of nautical technology was the submarine, which is widely used today for both scientific and military purposes. The first recorded proposition of a submarine dates back to 1580, when an English innkeeper by the name of William Bourne hypothesized that if one made a boat heavier than the water it displaces, it would sink. In 1623, Bourne's theory was put into practice by Cornelius Drebble, a Dutch scientist commissioned by James I of England, built what is thought to be the first functioning submarine. Although there are no credible illustrations of the vehicle, it is said to have been reminiscent of a highly compact rowboat covered in leather. From there the contraption evolved into what is now known as the modern submarine. Though it was not fully put to use directly after its creation, the submarine now serves a variety of purposes. 

     The first military use of submarines was in World War I with the German U-boats. The U-boats were clunky and unrefined, but they served their purpose in that they allowed the Germans to remain underwater and hence undetected. This allowed the German naval forces to destroy surface ships with greater ease. Due to their primitive design however, WWI era submarines were only able to remain submerged for  a small amount of time. In WWII, Germany implemented a more refined version of the U-boat. Since then, submarines have become instrumental in certain naval operations, including anti-submarine warfare, anti surface warfare, and landing special ops. 

     Modern submarines have also been put to use for non-military purposes. In the early 1900s, scientists decided to use submarines as an alternative to lighthouses. The underwater crafts would emit signals on a primitive microphone to help ships avoid shallow areas as well as other ships. Today, submarines are often used as a means of recovering the remnants of sunken ships such as the Titanic and the USS Monitor, a ship used during the Civil War. Submarines also allow for the exploration of the depths of the ocean, which are otherwise unreachable. These vehicles, first brought about in the Renaissance, are now useful tools in the fields of defense, history, and science. 

Links:

http://www.submarine-history.com/NOVAthree.htm

http://www.dosits.org/people/history/early1900/

http://www.uboat.net/articles/98.html

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/faq.html

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_14/nr1.html

http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7171