Copyright 2000 by Thomas E. Weil, Jr.

This chronology highlights some of the significant dates in the evolution of rowing as the first modern sport, and has been prepared as part of a larger project for the Friends of Rowing History and the National Rowing Foundation. The number of references to race before 1840, which is by no means comprehensive, is intended to give some indication of the extent to which rowing contests preceded other team sport activities in the United States. Several items were drawn from the "Selected Chronology" in Chris Dodd's STORY OF WORLD ROWING (1992). I am grateful to Chris for his permission to use those references, which are noted. My thanks also to Bill Miller for his contributions relating to the development of rowing technology, which are also noted. Finally, all history raises questions, and some of the dates and events presented below are subjects of debate among rowing historians - caveat reader! Any mistakes are my responsibility alone. Proposed corrections or suggestions for this time line may be sent to teweil@mac.com.

B.C. - Oared vessels began to be used for transport, commerce, fishing, life-saving and war, but, while there are occasional references in classical texts to boat racing, rowing primarily for exercise, non-ceremonial recreation or competition was not common before 1800.

1274 - The first reference to a "regatta" appeared in Venetian documentation; Venice's dependence on water transport provided a natural venue for the evolution of medieval and Renaissance water festivals. By 1315, the Venetian regatta included boat races among other forms of aquatic display and entertainment [Dodd].

1454 - The first Lord Mayor's water procession was held in London [Dodd], which was to grow to include numerous magnificent guild barges, and to continue for over four centuries, until 1856. The colorful annual event, with its pomp and ceremony and liveried watermen, undoubtedly contributed to the interest taken by Eton boys in aquatic activities and to the initiation at Eton in 1793 of the Procession of the Boats.

1715 - Thomas Doggett established a prize for watermen in their first year of apprenticeship, to be raced for on the Tideway in London (August 1), that is now one of the oldest continually running athletic contests in the world. The Coat and Badge that were awarded brought fame, though little fortune, to the wearers, who were also eligible to man the Royal Barge on state occasions.

1756 - A race in New York between a Cape Cod whaleboat and a New York pettiauger was won "with the greatest ease" by the former (April).

1768 - A regatta was held at Walton-on-Thames [Dodd].

1775 - A major water festival and regatta, described in a paper of the day as a "novel amusement recently introduced from Venice," was held at Ranelagh Gardens at Chelsea on the Thames (June 23). An event like this could now draw royal patronage and commissions, such as the engagement of Handel to compose his "Water Music."

1788 - Two eight-oared cutters, the Chatham and the Invincible, engaged in a race from Westminster to Richmond on the Thames (September 8), which became the first boat race recorded in England's ANNUAL REGISTER.

1790 - The Star Club and the Arrow Club were active on the Thames in London.

1793 - The first recorded Procession of the Boats was held at Eton College, England's leading boy's private school located outside London on the Thames at Windsor, and the custom of organizing groups of boys from the same master's house to obtain a boat for pleasure, exercise or a contest with another house became institutionalized.

1805 - The first boat race was held in Australia [Dodd].

1807 - A boat race took place in New York over a course from the Whitehall Stairs to Blackwell's Island and return.

1811 - Two New York Whitehall fours, the Knickerbocker and the Invincible, raced from Harsimus, New Jersey to the Battery flagstaff. The first records of boating appear at Westminster School in London.

1814 - A regatta held in Chester included a raced for women for a two guinea prize.

1815 - The first college boat club was organized at Oxford University, and the first recorded contest among the Oxford college boat clubs for Head of the River was won by Brasenose.

1816 - The first Canadian boat race was held in St. John's Harbor, Newfoundland (August 10), and continues today as the "Quidi Vidi" regatta.

1818 - The Star and Arrow boat clubs joined to form the Leander Club in London.

The four-oared American Star beat the New York in a race from Williamsburg, Long Island to Castle William, Governors Island.

1822 - The earliest team rowing print shows a boat race at Oxford.

1823 - The Knickerbocker Club became the first boat club to be organized in the United States.

Two four-oars, the Whitehall and the Richmond, raced from Robbins Reef Light to Castle Garden, the Whitehall victorious.

1824 - The Whitehall boat American Star, manned by four New York watermen, defeated the Dart from the British warship Hussar, racing four miles from the Battery flagstaff to Hoboken Point and back for a $1,000 prize before 50,000 spectators (December 9); the winning boat was presented as a gift to the Marquis de Lafayette on his farewell visit to New York the following year.

1826 - A regatta was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia (July).

1827 - The first college boat club was organized at Cambridge University, and the first recorded contest among the Cambridge college boat clubs for head of the River was won by Trinity.

1828 - Antony Brown of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, developed a form of outrigger for racing boats [Dodd].

1829 - In their first contest, Oxford defeated Cambridge in eight oared cutters before 20,000 spectators at Henley-on-Thames, England (June 10), where the river offers about a mile and a quarter of straight course. Ultimately known simply as the Boat Race, this fixture of the British sports scene moved to the Tideway for the second contest, in 1836, where it has been an annual event, with few exceptions, since 1839.

Eton commenced a storied boat race rivalry with Westminster School in London (July 27) that marked the beginning of the intermural schoolboy rowing.

Regattas were held in Portsmouth, Southsea and Gosport [Dodd].

1830 - The Wingfield Sculls were first contested for the amateur sculling championship of the Thames.

1831 - The first English professional sculling championship race was held between two watermen, C. Campbell and J. Williams, in London.

1833 - Seven eights and four sixes raced in a Philadelphia regatta (November).

1834 - Durham Regatta was founded after almost 20 years of aquatic festivities celebrating the victory at Waterloo.

WALKER'S MANLY EXERCISES, the first book to extol the virtues of rowing for fitness and health, was published first in London, then in Philadelphia (1836).

The first rowing association, the New York (or Castle Garden) Amateur Boat Club Association, was organized.

A double scull beat a pair oar in what became known as the "Jersey Blue Race" from Jersey City to Robbin's Reef and return.

1835 - Regattas were held among established clubs in Philadelphia.

In a New York Harbor contest of two six-oars manned by Whitehall watermen, the Wave bested the Eagle (July 21). The Wave was again victorious in the first regatta of the New York Amateur Boat Club Association (September 19), held at Castle Garden.

1836 - Lyrics and music titled "Light May the Boat Row" were published in honor of the New York Boat Clubs (the Wave won again, in a nine boat race on September 19); sheet music with rowing related themes or illustrations appeared for the next century.

Hamburg RC was organized as the first boat club for Germans [Dodd].

1837 - Two pair-oared math races were held in New York (July 18 and 19), followed by two four-oared races (August 4 and 13). Ten thousand spectators watched the six-oared Wave threepeat in the third New York Amateur Boat Club Association regatta (September 25), while the six-oar Disowned won a match for $2,000 over seven miles against the Geo. Washington (September 26). Newburgh, New York began sponsoring regattas for six-oared boats, and added four-oared events in later years (1839, 1841 and 1842). Poughkeepsie also held a regatta for six-oars on the Hudson River (August 13), followed by an 1839 regatta for six-oars and four-oars.

The Canton Regatta Club was formed in China [Dodd].

1838 - The Societe Havraise de l'Aviron became the first French rowing club [Dodd].

Match races in New York included the victory of the six-oar Wizzard-Skiff over Kosciusko (June 1), the triumph of the four-oared Whitehall over the Passaic (June 11), the defeat by the four-oared Shamburgh of Whitehall of the Independence of Newark in a five mile race from Robbin's Reef to Castle Garden for $2,000 (September 10), the loss of $1,000 by the Disowned to the Spark in a five mile race, and the victory of the four-oared Fairy over the Brooklyn.

1839 - The first Henley Regatta was held, establishing the "Henley" distance of about a mile and quarter as the principal alternative to the four mile "classic" distance. The Regatta received Royal sponsorship in 1851.

Match races in New York in 1839 included the suspicious victory of the four-oared Shakespeare over the Shamburgh over a course from Robbin's Reef to Castle Garden for $2,000, perhaps the first fixed race in U.S. rowing (June 2), the victory of the four-oared Duane over the Willis over a two and a half mile course down the Hudson from Washington Market, and return, for $500 a side (August 1), and the victory of the six-oared Ann, of Peekskill, manned by professionals, over the amateurs of the Wave, its first defeat ever (October 1), before a crowd of 15,000. In a same day re-match, the amateurs turned the Wave over to a crew of Whitehallers who bested the Ann in a race from the Battery to Bedloe's Island and back for $1,000. In Philadelphia, 7,000 viewed a six-oared regatta on the Schuylkill (July 18).

1840's - Illustrations of boat races first appeared in English newspapers and magazines.

1841 - The Newburgh regatta for eight six-oars featured the first elimination heats in a U.S. regatta (July 14); a race among nine four-oars followed the same day.

1842 - The first publication devoted to rowing as a sport, A TREATISE ON THE ART OF ROWING AS PRACTISED AT CAMBRIDGE, appeared in England.

Four eight-oared boats raced over the Chelsea course in a regatta in East Boston (August 3).

1843 - In one of the legendary contests in the sport, following the illness of one of their crew, seven Oxford oarsmen, stroked by the brother of author Thomas Hughes, defeated a Cambridge eight over the Henley course.

The first U.S. collegiate boat club was organized at Yale (May 24).

The Royal Thames Regatta was organized as the first of several annual contests for professional crews on the Tideway at London.

Stephen Roberts claimed the singles championship of New York after defeating Sydney Dorlon in two of three races (September 29).

1844 - A racing single with outriggers and an inboard keel made its appearance on the Thames [Dodd].

The first boat club was organized at Harvard.

1845 - Outrigged racing boats, most effectively modified by the Clasper brothers, professional watermen from Newcastle-on-Tyne, appeared on the Tideway.

The first modern sport and the eventual "national sport" shared common ground as a four-oared regatta was held (September 22) at Elysian Fields, Hoboken; that same year, the Knicerbocker Base Ball Club was formed, and their playing grounds at the Elysian Fields became the birthplace of baseball.

1846 - The Ghent club was organized in Belgium [Dodd].

The Arrow Club was formed in St. Petersburg [Dodd].

1849 - Henry David Thoreau published A WEEK ON THE CONCORD AND MERRIMACK RIVERS, the chronicle of a trip with his brother in an oared boat in 1839; numerous journals of oared travels appeared over the next four decades, culminating the classic THREE MEN IN A BOAT, published by Jerome K. Jerome in 1889.

1850's - Illustrations of boat races were first published in U.S. newspapers and magazines.

1851 - Gothenburg RC was established in Sweden [Dodd].

1852 - Harvard defeated Yale in an eights race on Lake Winnepesaukee in the first intercollegiate athletic contest in the United States (August 3). This boat race has been held annually, with few exceptions, since 1864 and on the Thames River at New London, Connecticut since 1878.

1853 - Bachelor's Barge Club was founded in Philadelphia (July 4), followed in May 1854 by the University Barge Club, and in May 1856 by the Undine Barge Club, all of which are active today.

1854 - The first Boston City regatta, typically celebrating Independence Day, was held.

Writing under the pseudonym "Oliver Optic," William Taylor Adams published THE BOAT CLUB, a story involving a group of boys who band together for rowing exercise and competition, which became one of the mot influential juveniles of the 19^th century.

Matt Taylor built the keelless four that carried the Royal Chester Rowing Club to victory in the Stewards and the Wyfolds at Henley in 1855; thrilled, they returned in 1856 in a Taylor made keelless eight to take the Grand and the Ladies.

1855 - The Neptune from St. John, New Brunswick emerged victorious from the U.S.-Canadian rowing contest, spurring coxswain or rudder to defeat the coxed J.D.R. Putman of New York for $2,000 on the Charles in Boston.

1857 - J.C. Babcock of New York adapted a form of slide in a single; he subsequently outfitted a six-oar with slides in a race in May 1870.

1858 - Brown, Harvard, Trinity and Yale boat clubs planned their first inter-collegiate regatta, to be held using six-oared boats in Springfield, Massachusetts, but it was canceled after the Yale stroke drowned.

The crew was the first Harvard team to use red (later crimson) as a school color (June 19).

The Schuylkill River Navy was formed by several Philadelphia boat clubs (October 5).

The first international boat race between French and English boat clubs took place in Paris [Dodd].

THE ROWER'S MANUAL, the first nominally American rowing text (although it drew heavily upon English precedents), was published; it includes a section advocating rowing for women.

1859 - Melbourne University Boat Club was established in Australia.

The Schuylkill Navy held its first regatta (June), in which six-oared boats predominated.

Josh Ward won the U.S. professional single sculls title (October 11).

1861 - The BRITISH ROWING ALMANACK commenced publication. In the same year, Thomas Hughes published TOM BROWN AT OXFORD (a sequel to his immensely successful TOM BROWN'S SCHOOL DAYS), with the first widely disseminated descriptions of rowing at Oxford and Cambridge.

The Civil Service Rowing Club was formed in Cape Town, South Africa, as well as the Canterbury Rowing Club in Christchurch, New Zealand [Dodd].

1862 - James Hamill defeated Josh Ward on the Schuylkill for the U.S. professional single sculls title (August 13).

1863 - Boat clubs were established in Austria, Italy and Switzerland [Dodd].

A German, Dr. Schiller, reported developing a slide using wheels [Dodd].

Tynesider Robert Chambers defeated the Australian Green in the first international world championship professional sculling contest.

1865 - The Ward brothers were victorious over the Biglin brothers for the professional four-oared championships of America (September 25).

1855 - James Hamill of the U.S. lost twice on the Tyne to Henry Kelley, the English champion, in the first trans-Atlantic professional rowing contest (July 4^th and 5^th).

Rowing clubs were organized in Denmark, Japan, and Portugal [Dodd].

British rowing eminence Edwin Dampier Brickwood called for the establishment of formal and exclusive standards for amateur status in the sport.

1867 - The first trans-Atlantic race between professional crews took place in Paris (July 7), where four Canadian oarsmen from St. Johns, New Brunswick defeated all comers at the Exhibition regatta.

1868 - "Guts" Woodgate introduced the straight four at Henley by devisin a foot steering mechanism and having the coxswain leap out after the start (Miller).

The St. Johns "Paris" four defeated the Ward brothers boat at Springfield, Massachusetts (October 8).

1869 - Oxford defeated Harvard in coxed-fours on the Thames in the first trans-Atlantic amateur boat race before 500,000 spectators; broad news overage of the race was soon followed by an explosion of interest in rowing and in the formation of hundreds of boat clubs in the U.S.

1870's - Schoolboy rowing programs were established in the U.S. at schools such as St. Pauls.

1870 - The control of river traffic by the Thames Conservancy during the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race inaugurated a useful custom of face day cooperation between regatta officials and municipal authorities.

Yale was the first U.S. college crew to use a slide, utilizing greased runners in the Harvard-Yale boat race.

A Tyneside four led by Renforth, who had captured the sculling championship in 1868, defeated the St. John "Paris" crew at Lachine, Canada; in a re-match on the Kennebecasis River in New Brunswick in 1871, Renforth collapsed during the race, and died shortly thereafter.

1871 - Thomas Eakins finished "Max Schmitt in a Single Scull" (also known as "The Champion Single Sculls"), the first of his ground-breaking paintings of amateur and professional oarsmen.

Amherst, Brown, Bowdoin and Harvard formed the Rowing Association of American Colleges. Massachusetts Agricultural College defeated Harvard and Brown on July 19 in a three mile race for six-oared crews on the Connecticut River (the victorious shell is now at Mystic Seaport).

The Ward brothers defeated two English and three American fours in an international four mile turn race at Saratoga (September 11).

The October regatta of Harlem's Empire City Rowing Club included a double sculls race for women, an image of which was published in Harper's Weekly.

1872 - Questions about the amateur status of several of he oarsmen in A Philadelphia regatta sponsored by the Schuylkill Navy (June 13-14) prompted debate throughout the U.S. rowing community, and lead to the establishment of The National Association of Amateur Oarsmen (which became the United States Rowing Association a century later), the first national amateur team sport organization in the United States (August 28).

Three modern eights purchased from the London Rowing Club by three Philadelphia boat clubs reintroduced eights racing to the U.S. in a Philadelphia Thanksgiving regatta (November 28); among those oarsmen was the future noted illustrator A.B. Frost. One of those eights is depicted in the background of Eakin's two 1873 watercolors of John Biglin.

1873 - Bob cook, the Yale captain, learned the English style of stroking at Oxford, and introduced it to U.S. college rowing, where it became the dominant stroke in college programs through the end of the century.

Both Oxford and Cambridge used sliding seats in the Boat Race for the first time.

Rowing clubs were formed in Argentina, Peru and Poland [Dodd].

1874 - U.S. professional Michael Davis patented the swivel oarlock [Miller].

1875 - Wellesley College established the oldest surviving organized women's rowing program, while Charles Courtney began training women to row at the Union Springs seminary.

1876 - Rowing was one of three sports (the others were yachting and riflery) included in the U.S. Centennial celebration in Philadelphia. Edward "Ned" Hanlan, an unheralded oarsman from Canada, won the singles championship, and the Beaverwyck four from Albany, New York defeated the London Rowing Club in the amateur championship fours event.

Harvard and Yale adopted the eight oar over the six oar, and began racing at the four-mile distance. Yale withdrew from the intercollegiate regatta. Harvard withdrew in 1877, and, for the next decade, while Harvard and Yale waged their annual contest in eights (moving from Springfield to the Thames at New London in 1878, in which year the first observation train was run), most other rowing colleges contested in fours.

Two women raced single sculls over a mile on the Mohongahela River at Pittsburgh.

Michael Davis patented a sliding rigger [Miller].

1878 - Columbia was the first U.S. crew to win at Henley, taking the Visitors Challenge Cup for straight fours.

The North German Regatta Association adopted the 2,000 meter distance for racing [Dodd].

1879 - The first Childs Cup, named after a prominent Philadelphia publisher, was won by a Pennsylvania four; the regatta switched to eights in 1889.

A restrictive definition of "amateur" was adopted by the Henley Stewards and he newly formed Metropolitan Rowing Association.

1880 - Ned Hanlan, the "Boy in Blue," generated unprecedented international news coverage as a sports figure in beating the Australian Edward Trickett for the first professional rowing "World Championship" to be contested in England, remaining undefeated until his loss to William Beach on the Paramatta in Australia in 1884.

Michael Davis patented the "Leg-O-Mutton" blade, a predecessor design to today's hatchet shape, as well as a steering footstretcher [Miller].

1882 - The Amateur Rowing Association was formed by the Oxbridge wing of English rowing.

1883 - Rowing colleges other than Harvard and Yale joined to establish an Intercollegiate Association rowing in fours.

1885 - Charles Courtney took full-time charge of the rowing program at Cornell, becoming the first professional oarsman to successfully transition to permanent employment as a college coach.

1887 - Allen & Ginter, a Virginia tobacco company, issued the first set of sport cards as premiums in packs of cigarettes; the first 50 champions included ten professional oarsmen and ten professional baseball players - no other sport had as many.

1889 - The other U.S. rowing colleges followed Harvard and Yale to rowing in eights and racing in New London.

1890 - Reform minded English oarsmen established the National Amateur Rowing Association (NARA) as a more inclusive body than that ARA. The NARA merged with the ARA in 1855, bringing to a close a bitter debate over amateur status that had plagued British rowing for almost a century.

1892 - ZLAC, the first U.S. women's rowing club (named after four of the founding members, Zulette, Lena, Agnes and Carolyn), was established in San Diego, California.

The Federation Internationale des Societes d'Aviron (FISA) as formed as the first international amateur team sport governing body.

1893 - FISA held its first European rowing championships in Orta, Italy.

The first women's collegiate "boating society" was organized in England, at Cambridge's Newnham College.

The Boston Athletic Association sponsored rowing programs for seven Boston schools, expanding to 13 schools the following year.

1895 - The newly formed Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) began holding its four mile championship0 races for eights on the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie, New York. In 1952, after two years on the Ohio River at Marletta, the event moved to a 2,000 meter course on Lake Onondaga, at Syracuse, New York.

1896 - Professional rowing events were eliminated from the Boston City regattas, signaling the end of professional competition in the U.S.

Rowing events were scheduled to be held at the Greek port of Pireaus in conjunction with the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896, but were canceled due to bad weather at the site; rowing has been in every Games since then, and is the only Olympic team sport with that record of longevity and continuity.

Two fishermen from New Jersey, Harbo and Samuelson, rowed from New York to Ireland in an open boat.

F.J. Furnivall founded the Hammersmith Sculling Club for Girls and Men due to his belief that "the exclusion of women from aquatic sport was pernicious"; he encouraged working women to row, and espoused sculling over sweeps

1897 - Edward H. Ten Eyck became the first American to win the Diamonds at Henley.

The Sedgeley Club was established in Philadelphia for rowing women.

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Tom Weil practiced law in Houston. He has collected rowing books, prints and memorabilia and written and lectured on rowing art and history for over thirty years.