1. An image of a seawall on the coast of Plymouth, Present Day. 

2. Plymouth is mentioned during North and South in Chapter III when Margaret asks Henry Lennox about Edith's whereabouts. Her and Lennox begin exchanging words and Lennox tells her that he feared for Edith's adventurous nature and didn't feel safe until she embarked by boat to Plymouth. Margaret then tells Lennox that she now knows why Edith's correspondence is taking so long. This helps drive the plot because as readers we get more insight into Edith's nature and how adventurous her spirit is. Similarly, it helps readers recognize how Margaret is left out of the loop on the happenings of the "prestigious" family that she spent time with in the big city. Maybe I'm grabbing at straws, but I think that its a good example of Margaret's personality and connection to other people, especially Henry Lennox and Edith.

3. Plymouth, which is an outlying part of Devon, England is another town with a rich history in maritime. Dating back to even the Saxon times and the Bronze Age, Plymouth has been a port for all manners of people from vikings to Romans, and pilgrims to modern-day fishermen. It's also a very important town for military exploit because most of the exports from the UK were sent from this port and town, and whoever controls the port controls the money. This town is also notorious for being a center for exploration because the many famous navigators we learn about in school left from this port. From Sir Francis Drake's first voyage into the Pacific to circumnavigate the globe to the Pilgrims' maiden voyage to the Americas, and even Charles Darwin's voyage to the Galapagos Islands, this port has sent out the most infamous voyages in history. However, Plymouth has remained a small town until the 1830's when the size of the town increased drastically because of the Industrial Revolution. And during the 19th century, Plymouth exploded as a maritime town and money was made in sailing and fishing, but it still kept its charm as a seaside town with plenty to do and see. 

4. This is important when talking about North and South because Plymouth is described in the book as a safe town and one that still has plenty of sightseeing and resort-like venues. I also forgot to point out that the people Mr. Hale associates with are called the "Plymouth Fellows" which is possibly alluding to the town and how its residents are well-travelled. I do think that Plymouth plays a key role in navigation and maritime activity in the book because any sailing or voyaging that was had in the book probably left from Plymouth's ports, so it's good to know for geographical information and pinpointing how people travelled on the seas. 

5. Citations:

https://www.visitplymouth.co.uk/explore/plymouths-history

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fu...