1. What was the nature of the Atlantic sea trade in 1832? What kinds of goods were transported? Why would it take the Seahawk two months to sail from England to America?

2. The Seahawk is a brig. What were brigs typically used for in 1832? Where were they constructed, and who were the builders?

3. How were crews recruited in England or America in 1832?

4. How many female sailors were present in the Atlantic during the 1830s? What were their characteristics?

5. Charlotte spends considerable time learning to manage the rigging on the Seahawk. Describe the ropes and sails, and explain the function of each.

6. What were the laws regulating the conduct of captains and crews on merchant ships in the 1830s? Did captains wield as much authority as Jaggery suggests?

7. What kind of future can Charlotte anticipate if she is not returned to her family? What would her wages be? What opportunities for advancement might she have? Would she be able to start a family?

8. If Charlotte remained with her family in Rhode Island, or if she were returned to them, what kind of life could she expect in Providence? What responsibilities would she have?

9. There are mentions of class distinctions in The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. How significant was social class in Rhode Island (or the eastern United States) in 1832? What social classes existed, and what were the expectations for members of each class?

10. How frequently were captains killed by their own crews in the Atlantic sea trade of Charlotte's time? What were the consequences for killing a captain?

11. What was considered the "natural order" in Charlotte's era? How did it relate to women?