Introduction

This chapter provides historic evidence to verify how, since the dawn of mankind, global seaports served as the gates of global trade and facilitators of products exchange. The etymology of the word port derives from the ancient Greek poros, which means both “passage” and “journey,” which in turn became the Latin word portus, and the modern international port. American seaports have recently displayed a dynamic development with an estimated annual investment exceeding $9 billion, generated by port authorities and private-sector funds. The US port system is decentralized and far less homogenous than is typically the case for those in other countries. US public ports are created by the states and vary widely in structure—from state to municipal and county entities and semiautonomous special- purpose political subdivisions. The ports selected in this subsection have one thing in common: they all have undergone great challenges, fluctuations, and yet they have thrived throughout with consistency and flexibility.