"My father was a sea captain, so was his father, and his father before him, and all my uncles. My mother's people all followed the sea. I suppose that if I had been born a few years earlier, I would have had my own ship"

This quote by Joseph C. Lincoln talks to the long history of his household's involvement in the maritime market. It is clear that his father, grandfather, and uncles were all sea captains, which his mom's household likewise followed the sea. This suggests that the maritime industry was a huge part of his family's life and livelihood. It is also clear that he himself was born far too late to become a sea captain, however he suggests that if he had actually been born a few years earlier, he would have had his own ship. This quote talks to the value of the maritime market to his household, and the reality that he was born too late to join them in their occupation. It also speaks with the idea that the maritime market was a major part of his household's life and identity.