Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat

by James M. Volo

Overview

In 1775, it seemed inconceivable that the American colonists could overcome the overwhelming military superiority of Great Britain. Yet the belligerent colonists were certain they could defeat the British army they so despised. On the other hand, their one great fear was that they would not be able to overcome the presence of the Royal Navy. Somehow though, the colonists were able to resist the British at sea, attract capable allies, and successfully conclude their quest for independence. The primary focus of this work is the period prior to 1779 before the French had come to the aid of the fledgling American nation—when the Blue Water Patriots confronted the Royal Navy alone, relying on little more than ingenuity and courage.

In 1775, it was inconceivable that the American colonists could have overcome the overwhelming military superiority of Great Britain. Yet the belligerent colonists seemed certain that they could defeat the British army they so despised. On the other hand, the one great fear shared by all colonists was that they would not be able to overcome the presence of the Royal Navy. Yet, somehow, the colonists were able to resist the British at sea, attract capable allies to aid them, and successfully conclude their quest for independence. The American Revolution can safely be viewed as part of a prolonged worldwide naval conflict between France and Britain beginning with the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and ending with the British victory at Trafalgar in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. This was a period in which the armed merchantmen of the age of trade were replaced by genuine warships whose task was to control the sea lanes. The American Revolution was a watershed in this regard with improved warship designs, new technologies, improved gunpowder and communications, and innovative tactics. Although French participation in the war for independence was crucial, the primary focus of this work is the period before 1779, when the colonists confronted the Royal Navy alone with only their ingenuity and courage to defend them.

Every school child knows that the American Revolution began on Lexington Green in April, 1775, but how many are aware that in 1764 a Royal Navy cutter, St. John, engaged in the suppression of smuggling, was fired upon by Rhode Islanders; that in 1769, the revenue sloop Liberty was seized and burbaned by the people of Newport; or that in 1772, the navy cutter Gaspee was burbaned in the night by armed patriots attacking from small boats. These Blue Water Patriots fought the first battles on the road to American independence. This is their story.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275989071
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/30/2006
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

James M. Volo, PhD, has been teaching Physics, Physical Science, and Astronomy for the past 39 years. He received his bachelor's from City College in New York, his masters from American Military University, and his doctorate from Berne University. He has taught on the Graduate level for more than 15 years and authored several reference works regarding U.S. military, social, and cultural history. In addition, he has consulted on TV and movie productions. Among his published works are Blue Water Patriots: The American Revolution Afloat (Greenwood, 2006), Daily Life in Civil War America (Greenwood, 1998), Family Life in the 19th Century (Greenwood, 2007), the Popular Culture of the Antebellum Period (Greenwood, 2004), and the Encyclopedia of the Antebellum South (Greenwood, 2000). Several of which were co-authored with his wife Dorothy Denneen Volo. Presently, Dr. Volo teaches at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
The Enforcement Crisis     11
The Rebels Under Sail     37
Naval Administration     51
The Art of War at Sea     67
Sea Officers     87
The Continental Navy     105
Warships     115
Cannon and Powder     137
George Washington's Private Navy     149
The Invasion of New York     177
Whaleboat Warriors and Bateaux Battalions     199
Invoking Poseidon     217
The French Alliance     231
Prisoners of War     245
Epilogue     251
Important Vessels and Commanders Belonging to the North American Squadron during the Enforcement Crisis, 1764-1767     255
Disposition of the Royal Navy on the North American Station, January 1775     257
1794 Admiralty List of Vessels of War in Service or Built before 1783     259
Maps     271
Notes     277
Selected Bibliography     297
Credits     299
Index     301

Editorial Reviews

It is the rare book that aims at giving a comprehensive view of any historical event and actually delivers what it promises, but Volo's Blue Water Patriots does just that. In this single volume, readers will find every element that they could ever want of the Revolutionary War at sea. The author summarizes the problems of creating a national navy, discusses the men who served on the ships, and describes the outcomes of their battles. Like most general histories, this book covers the famous ships and captains that most readers are familiar with, such as John Paul Jones, but includes other elements not found in general histories of the Revolutionary War. Volo covers the various state navies, privateers, and coastal raiders that make the war's naval history so interesting. There are also discussions of technical developments, weaponry, and recruiting. The author does an especially good job of tying the causes of the war to the naval and maritime development of the Colonies, thus demonstrating that naval elements of the war were central to the conflict, not just a peripheral concern. Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.” —Choice

“Volo's focus is on the period between 1775 and 1779 when most of the combat was between Britain and her rebellious colonies and conducted in the North Atlantic. The strength of his volume is the highly readable style.” —The Northern Mariner

“The author describes the naval aspects of the American Revolution, concentrating on the period prior to 1779, when the French entered the war. In addition to describing the most significant engagements between Britain's Royal Navy and opposing colonial forces, the author also offers chapters that provide detail on the characteristics of naval officers, naval administration, types of warships, and armaments.” —Reference & Research Book News

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