American Revolution
First Five of Thirteen
Shipbuilders who we would today call Marine Architects or Marine Engineers like Joshua Humphreys and James Hackett were coming into their prime. Yards in the colonies had ready access to wood, cordage, pitch, tar, and other materials needed to build a ship. They were innovative as well as efficient and began designing and building the authorized frigates.
Read MoreThe Three Navies of the Frigate Hancock
Back to the frigate Hancock that was commissioned in 1776. It was one of 13 frigates the Continental Congress authorized on December 13th, 1775. Built in Newburyport, MA, the 860-ton Hancock was armed with twenty-four 12-pounders and eight 6-pounders.
Read MoreClauses of Control
When you read the Constitution of the United States, you’ll find eight clauses that give elected officials control of the military and two amendments.
Read MoreWhere U.S. Civilian Control over the Military Began
Our Founding Fathers were uncomfortable with having a standing army and a navy. Thus, in 1783, with the Treaty of Paris signed, the Continental Army was dissolved and its equipment and supplies divided amongst the state militias. The Continental Navy suffered a similar fate, and all its ships were sold or broken up.
Read MoreWho Were the Signers of the Declaration of Independence?
When you look at the data, many of the men had several professions, such as lawyer and merchant. Or plantation owner and attorney. How do you list Benjamin Franklin? He’s one of the two scientists in the group. Studying the data, one could list Sam Adams’ profession as rabble-rouser, but in reality, he was a successful merchant.
Read MoreDeclaration of Grievances to the Constitution
The challenge the writers of the Constitution faced was translating the ideals and grievances of the Declaration of Independence into a viable governing document. They were tasked to include the lessons learned from trying to create a new country under the Articles of Confederation, which was not workable.
Read MoreThe Parliamentary Bully
Yet, when one looks at the acts of Parliament, under Lord North’s arrogant leadership, they were the acts of a bully. British leaders didn’t think anyone living outside England had any smarts or ability, yet at the time, the majority of the residents of the Thirteen Colonies were from England!
Read MoreThe Little Known Fifth Terrible Act
By 1774, Parliament decided to address some of the major issues England faced trying to govern this ill-defined piece of land called Canada. In the Quebec Act, the British Parliament defined the boundaries of Canada to include what is now Southern Ontario, the land along the St. Lawrence River to Nova Scotia and what is now Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and much of Minnesota.
Read MorePrecursor to the Declaration of Independence
Needless to say, these acts were like pouring gasoline on a fire. Invitations went out to the 13 Colonial legislatures to meet in Philadelphia to discuss what to do. Only Georgia elected not to send a delegation because a significant portion of the population were Loyalists. Fifty-six men attended the First Continental Congress, which began on September 5th, 1774, and recessed on October 26th, 1774.
Read MoreThe First of Its Kind
Like most political bodies, a committee was formed that included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. Since Jefferson had the best “hand” and was a more “polished writer, he was given the task of writing the document that was edited by Thomas Paine and John Adams.
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