Navy

The Untold War at Sea: America’s Revolutionary Privateers

December 7, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

Maritime efforts played a critical role in European and Anglo-American conflicts throughout the eighteenth century. Yet the oft-told narrative of the American Revolution tends to focus on battles on American soil or the debates and decisions of the Continental Congress.

The Untold War at Sea:: America’s Revolutionary Privateers (University of Georgia Press, 2022) places American privateers and their experiences during the War for Independence front and center. [Read more…] about The Untold War at Sea: America’s Revolutionary Privateers

Milkweed: A World War Two Strategic Material

December 6, 2023 by Dave Waite 1 Comment

The move into the Second World War by the United States brought change for this country’s citizens. The most important was in the lives of the 16 million men and women who served during the war, and the over 400,000 who gave their lives. [Read more…] about Milkweed: A World War Two Strategic Material

The Finger Lakes During World War Two

October 20, 2023 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, pushed a reluctant United States into the Second World War. Factories across the country, including those in Central New York, answered President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s call for American manufacturers to shift production towards military preparedness.

Before the outbreak of the war, factories located in Syracuse and Onondaga County, NY, made shoes, typewriters, air conditioners, washing machines, and many other civilian products. Between 1941 and 1945 however, Syracuse industries manufactured antiaircraft gun mounts, antitank landmines, rifles, machine guns, radar systems, and airplane and ship signaling lights. [Read more…] about The Finger Lakes During World War Two

Washington’s Marines: Origins of the Corps, 1775-1777

May 31, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The book Washington’s Marines: The Origins of the Corps and the American Revolution, 1775-1777 (Savas Beatie, 2023) by Major General Jason Q. Bohm USMC takes a look at the United States Marines Corps’ beginnings and what it achieved during the early years of the American Revolution. [Read more…] about Washington’s Marines: Origins of the Corps, 1775-1777

Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution

April 5, 2023 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution (Liveright, 2022) by Eric Jay Dolin is the story of the founding of the U.S. Navy during the American Revolution. The story has been told before, yet missing from most maritime histories of America’s first war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels, from 20-foot whaleboats to 40-cannon men-of-war. [Read more…] about Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution

Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings

August 28, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Cartographic Branch at the National Archives is home to over one million ship plans, with records spanning more than 15 distinct Record Groups and over 25 separate series. These drawings are among the most requested records from researchers in the Cartographic Branch. [Read more…] about Maritime History: Ship Engineering Drawings

Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution

August 16, 2022 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The story of the founding of the U.S. Navy during the American Revolution has been told many times, yet largely missing from maritime histories of the war is the ragtag fleet of private vessels that truly revealed the new nation’s character ― above all, its ambition and entrepreneurial ethos.

Privateers were privately owned vessels, mostly refitted merchant ships, that were granted permission by the new government to seize British merchantmen and men of war. At a time when the young Continental Navy numbered no more than about sixty vessels all told, privateers rushed to fill the gaps. Nearly 2,000 set sail over the course of the war, with tens of thousands of Americans serving on them and capturing some 1,800 British ships. [Read more…] about Rebels at Sea: Privateering in the American Revolution

Francis Mallaby: Witness to Sackets Harbor History

January 20, 2022 by Constance Barone Leave a Comment

The name Francis Mallaby may not be familiar in New York history but sailing master Mallaby served at the Sackets Harbor navy yard in a prosperous time of lake shipping and community growth. He helped make a difference by initiating purchase of land which is cherished today as the Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site.

This War of 1812 veteran received high compliments from Lake Ontario navy commander Isaac Chauncey and Captain Woolsey that helped influence Mallaby’s 1817 appointment as master of the first steamboat on Lake Ontario, based in Sackets Harbor in Jefferson County, NY. [Read more…] about Francis Mallaby: Witness to Sackets Harbor History

1940s Tugboat, Barge Sunk For Artificial Reef

December 23, 2021 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the deployment of two steel vessels, the Chickadee on the McAllister Grounds Reef and Barge 226 on Smithtown Reef, as part of the State’s ongoing efforts to expand New York’s network of artificial reefs.

These final deployments for 2021 continue to build on DEC’s efforts to develop a stronger, more diverse marine ecosystem and provide shelter for fish and other marine life off New York’s shores. [Read more…] about 1940s Tugboat, Barge Sunk For Artificial Reef

NY Man Who Affected The Outcome at Pearl Harbor

December 11, 2021 by Sean Kelleher Leave a Comment

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese forces launched a devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, and a New York man played a big role in defending against that attack. Furthermore, his actions have been credited with shortening the war in the Pacific. [Read more…] about NY Man Who Affected The Outcome at Pearl Harbor