DOCSLIB.ORG

Constitutional Amendments Getty Images (Top); Peter Melkus/Us Navy

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Constitutional Amendments Getty Images (Top); Peter Melkus/Us Navy Restoring a 218-year-old technological wonder { !" #$" %&'()*'(+ } CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS GETTY IMAGES (TOP); PETER MELKUS/US NAVY 26 B O S T O N I A Fall 2015 26-53_Bostonia_FA15.indd 26 9/30/15 11:16 AM Every 20 years or so, the USS Constitution is hauled into dry dock for restoration. The cur rent project will cost $12 to $15 million. 26-53_Bostonia_FA15.indd 27 9/30/15 11:16 AM The tree trunks arrived at the Charlestown Navy Yard on July 7. White Today, he says, the ship’s most formidable oak, 45 feet long, and weighing about 10,000 enemies are the New England elements and pounds, they had been trucked more than 1,000 Boston Harbor’s burrowing mollusks. For the miles, from a naval base in Crane, Ind., which past two years, it was Kearns’ job, among many maintains a woodland preserve with 150 mature other things, to keep their damage in check trees that have been set aside for the restoration and to prepare the Constitution for the kind of of the USS Constitution. Over the next two years, restoration that’s done every 20 years or so. The 35 such logs will be sawed into planking to replace commander is in charge of a crew of 2 officers and much of the storied hull of the 218-year-old 76 sailors and is also the chief evangelist for the frigate commissioned by George Washington. ship’s mission—to preserve, protect, and promote Sean D. Kearns (ENG’94), who was the com- the Navy’s role in history through education, manding officer of the Constitution from July historic demonstrations, and public events. 2013 until this past August, says the ship’s original Kearns has given tours of the ship to retired hull was its secret weapon of sorts. More than astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Secretary of State John Commanding two feet thick and covered with copper to protect Kerry (Hon.’05) and has overseen the visits of Presence it from wood-borers like crustaceans, it could about two million visitors. r withstand blows from 18-pound iron cannonballs. “The Constitution is, in many aspects, the Sean D. Kearns The hull is the reason the undefeated warship is key historical symbol of the American Navy,” was command- called Old Ironsides. says Brendan McConville, a College of Arts & ing officer of the “Cannonballs would either stick in the side or Sciences professor of history, who specializes Constitution they would bounce off,” says Kearns. “She could in early American history. “Opposing navies for the past two years. go into battle with her huge armament and dish couldn’t believe the Constitution could beat out punishing fire and take a lot of punishment in them in one-on-one combat. It became a potent return without being damaged.” symbol of American naval prowess.” JACKIE RICCIARDI (2) !" BOSTONIA Fall 2015 26-53_Bostonia_FA15.indd 28 9/30/15 11:17 AM In May, after a two-month delay because of propulsion program, then studied mechanical Soon-to-be Boston’s record 2015 snowfall, Kearns directed engineering at BU on a Naval ROTC scholarship. Planks the guidance of the ship into the Charlestown His ROTC class’ commissioning ceremony was r Navy Yard’s granite dry dock, where she will perch held on the deck of the Constitution, as is still White oak logs with an exposed hull and downed sails during the tradition today. were trucked restoration. The $12 to $15 million project will With two master’s degrees from MIT, one in more than 1,000 replace the lower hull planking and caulking, the naval architecture and marine engineering and miles, from Con- copper sheathing, and some deck beams, rigging, one in mechanical engineering, Kearns served stitution Grove upper masts, and yards (the horizontal spars, on ships during Operations Iraqi Freedom and in Indiana. or beams, attached to the mast that sails are Enduring Freedom and was later promoted to hung from). It will also inspect and restore the executive officer of the USS San Antonio. When he cutwater, or protruding curve of the ship’s bow. took over in 2013, he became the 73rd commander of the Constitution. “When my family found out COMMANDER OF THE SHIP I’d gotten this job, they said, ‘You have got to be On a muggy summer morning, Kearns, dressed kidding me,’” he says. “They knew how much I in his blue camouflage Navy Working Uniform, love this ship.” He was married on the Constitution crosses the gangplank and is greeted, as required last summer. by naval custom, with four bells and one last Descending to the ship’s airless lower decks, bell, called a stinger, signifying his rank of Kearns offers up an impromptu history lesson: commanding officer of the ship. For Kearns, after the Revolutionary War, the newly formed Web extra the Constitution is a special place: his naval United States was deep in debt, mainly to France, career began more than 20 years ago with a which had loaned the revolting colonists upwards Watch a video about the restora- commissioning ceremony on the historic ship. of $70 million to fund the almost eight-year-long tion of the USS Kearns grew up near Bangor, Maine, and he war. “We sold off our Continental Navy,” he says, Constitution at can remember family trips to Boston, where “and that money was used to pay the interest bu.edu/bostonia. many afternoons were spent visiting the frigate. toward our debt.” Enamored, he started building Constitution At the same time, we continued trading with models and plastered his bedroom walls with various European powers, some of which were photographs of the ship. warring with one another. The commerce was After high school, Kearns enlisted in the resented, so our ships were harassed by Britain Navy as an electronics technician in the nuclear and France. Worse, our merchant ships were Fall 2015 BOSTONIA !" 26-53_Bostonia_FA15.indd 29 9/30/15 11:17 AM SHIP’S LOG The restoration work on the USS Constitution is being done by a 40-person team, Naval History and Heritage Command Detach- ment Boston. “They’re artisans and craftspeople who know woodworking, ship-smithing, rigging, and sail making, skills that are not common in our modern world,” says Sean D. Kearns (ENG’94), who was the ship’s commanding o! cer from July 2013 to August 2015. The ship’s historian and ship restorers refer to written records, archival photographs, and plans, like the deck plans from the Constitution’s long-gone sister USS President, which was captured by the British in the War of 1812 and disassembled to understand how she was constructed. The work on the Constitution started in spring 2015 and will be completed in 2017. Prep Work Replace Waterways Before the Constitution was The gun deck waterways, which connect the ship’s sides to the deck floated into dry dock, divers and help to eliminate water through scuppers, are being replaced. used large bristled rotating brushes to scrub the hull of mollusks and seaweed, exposing the copper sheath- ing and eliminating excess weight. The ship’s carronades, long guns, upper masts, and yards were also removed. Out of Water The ship entered Dry Dock 1 at the Charlestown Caulk the Navy Yard on May 18, Seams 2015. Its keel (backbone) On the top rests on keel blocks and deck, workers its sides are supported by will pound wooden shores. tarred hemp and cotton batting be- Weight-Testing tween the The riggers will suspend deck planks. heavy weights to test the in- tegrity of the ship’s structure, including the yards—the hor- Trail Boards izontal spars, or beams, that The carved, dec- hold the sails. orative trail boards have been removed from the bow so Check Sails that they can be The Constitu- refurbished. tion’s sails are no longer made of flax Copper Sheathing or cotton, but By late autumn, the from recycled Constitution’s 3,400 polyester yarn copper sheets will made from have been removed discarded to reveal strips of soda bottles. felt on the hull, and While they 30 hull planks will are relatively be replaced. One maintenance- of the last projects free and non- will be the instal- absorbent, lation of new cop- the sails are per sheets to protect preyed on the ship from wood- by squirrels, boring mollusks which chew that can damage through them. the hull. !" BOSTONIA Fall 2015 { !""#$%&'%!()$ by *(+) $. ,-./$ } 26-53_Bostonia_FA15_r1.indd 30 10/6/15 10:29 AM being attacked by North Africa’s Barbary pirates. Humphreys’ design called for a bluff bow Shipshape It was clear that America needed a naval defense (flattened front) and a narrow, long hull for speed, r force, and in 1794 President George Washington matched with an acre’s worth of sails on her three signed the Naval Act, authorizing $600,000 for masts. The Constitution could reach speeds of 13 A worker replaces the gun the construction of six medium-sized warships, knots, or 15 miles an hour, much faster than most deck’s waterway, or frigates. These vessels, it was hoped, would ships her size. That’s the outrun. The outgun is which helps keep the sea-lanes open for commerce and defend visible on both the ship’s spar deck, where she drain water against pirates. carried 2 dozen 32-pound carronade cannons, and from the ship. Official naval constructor Joshua Humphreys her gun deck, with its 30 long guns, each weighing knew that the six frigates he was commissioned 6,000 pounds. to build—the Constitution, the USS Chesapeake, While the Constitution was designed to deliver the USS President, the USS United States, the USS punishing blows, Humphreys wanted to guaran- Congress, and the USS Constellation—would go tee that she wouldn’t be crippled by them.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • December 2017.Pdf
    MILITARY SEA SERVICES MUSEUM, INC. SEA SERVICES SCUTTLEBUTT December 2017 A message from the President Greetings, The year 2017 was another good year for the Museum. Thanks to our Member's dues, a substantial contribution from our most generous member and contributions from a couple of local patriotic organizations, we will end the year financially sound and feeling confident that we will be able to make any emergency repairs and continue to make improvements to the Museum. As reported in previous Scuttlebutts, most of our major projects have been completed. Our upgraded security system with motion activated cameras inside the Museum and outside the shed John Cecil should be completed this month. The construction of a concrete structure for the mid-1600s British Admiralty Cannon should be completed early next year. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a New Year that is happy, healthy and prosperous. On this Christmas day let's all say a prayer for our troops that can't be home with families and loved ones. They are doing a great job of preventing the spread of terrorism and protecting our freedoms. Please say a prayer for their safe return home. John Military Sea Services entry in Sebring's 2017 Veteran's Day Parade The construction on Fred Carino's boat was done by Fred and his brother Chris. The replica of the bow ornament was done by Mary Anne Lamorte and her granddaughter Dominique Juliano. Military Sea Services Museum Hours of Operation 1402 Roseland Avenue, Sebring, Open: Thursday through Saturday Florida, 33870 Phone: (863) 385-0992 Noon to 4:00 p.m.
    [Show full text]
  • If by Sea: the Forging of the American Navy—From
    Humanities & Communication - Daytona Beach College of Arts & Sciences 11-2010 Book Reviews: If by Sea: The Forging of the American Navy—From the American Revolution to the War of 1812; The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British & French Navies, 1650-1815; Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy Robert M. Oxley Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.erau.edu/db-humanities Part of the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons Scholarly Commons Citation Oxley, R. M. (2010). Book Reviews: If by Sea: The Forging of the American Navy—From the American Revolution to the War of 1812; The Age of the Ship of the Line: The British & French Navies, 1650-1815; Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. The Mariner’s Mirror: The International Journal of the Society of Nautical Research, 96(4). Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/db- humanities/6 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts & Sciences at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Humanities & Communication - Daytona Beach by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IF BY SEA: The Forging of the American Navy—From the American Revolution to the War of 1812. By GEORGE C. DAUGHAN New York: Basic Books, 2008 563 pages, with maps, glossary, notes, bibliography, and index ISBN 978-0-465-01607-5 THE AGE OF THE SHIP OF THE LINE: The British & French Navies, 1650-1815.
    [Show full text]
  • Remembering the USS Chesapeake: the Politics of Maritime Death And
    Montclair State University Montclair State University Digital Commons Department of History Faculty Scholarship and Department of History Creative Works 2005 Remembering the USS Chesapeake: The olitP ics of Maritime Death and Impressment Robert E. Cray Montclair State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/history-facpubs Part of the United States History Commons MSU Digital Commons Citation Cray, Robert E., "Remembering the USS Chesapeake: The oP litics of Maritime Death and Impressment" (2005). Department of History Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 6. https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/history-facpubs/6 Published Citation Cray, Robert E. "Remembering the USS Chesapeake: The oP litics of Maritime Death and Impressment." Journal of the Early Republic 25, no. 3 (2005): 445-74. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30043338. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at Montclair State University Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Department of History Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works by an authorized administrator of Montclair State University Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Remembering the USS Chesapeake The Politics of Maritime Death and Impressment ROBERT E. CRAY, JR. On June 27, 1807, several thousand mourners assembled in Norfolk, Virginia, to witness Robert MacDonald’s internment. An ordi- nary mariner, MacDonald belonged to a class of maritime laborers, peo- ple who hoisted sails, stored cargoes, swabbed decks, and followed orders. Dead sailors normally rated scant attention and modest funerals when they died ashore, while death at sea meant burial over the side.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Wilkey Journal on Board the U.S.S. Delaware LCP.Wilkey
    Thomas Wilkey journal on board the U.S.S. Delaware LCP.Wilkey This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit September 22, 2014 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Library Company of Philadelphia 2012 March 10 Thomas Wilkey journal on board the U.S.S. Delaware LCP.Wilkey Table of Contents Summary Information ................................................................................................................................. 3 Biographical/Historical note.......................................................................................................................... 4 Scope and Contents note............................................................................................................................... 4 Administrative Information .........................................................................................................................5 Related Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Controlled Access Headings..........................................................................................................................5 Collection Inventory...................................................................................................................................... 7 - Page 2 - Thomas Wilkey journal on board the U.S.S. Delaware LCP.Wilkey Summary Information Repository Library Company of Philadelphia Creator Wilkey, Thomas Title Thomas Wilkey journal
    [Show full text]
  • Copyright Lore
    Copyright Notices | June 2005 Copyright Lore ¤ Frank Evina Preserved in the Library of Congress Rare Book tries made by Charles Clinton during this period, and Special Collections Division are the copyright it is evident that he possessed an artistic flair and record books maintained by the clerks of the U. S. an appreciation for calligraphy. District Courts prior to 1870. These historic handwritten volumes include close to 150,000 registrations made in 44 separate judicial dis- tricts before the copyright registration and deposit system was centralized in the Library of Congress in 1870. One of the most unusual District Court copyright entries appears on page 23 of volume 132 from the state of New York. On Dec. 22, 1813, Charles Clinton, District Court clerk for the Southern District of New York, entered a copy- right claim in the name of marine artist and cal- ligrapher George Godsell Thresher (1780–1857) for etchings of a famous naval battle fought dur- ing the War of 1812. What makes this entry unique is that, in ad- dition to the basic registration information, freehand drawings depict the copyright deposit, a work of art recording the engagement between the two great battle ships USS United States and HMS Macedonian. A notation at the bottom of the entry states that the “Above Etchings were taken from the only Drawings on board the United States, and belonging to Commodore Decatur, and approved of as being a correct and accurate representation.” The USS United States was a 44-gun frigate built in Philadelphia in 1797. It defeated the 38- gun frigate HMS Macedonian on Oct.
    [Show full text]
  • U.S. Navy Ships-Of-The-Line
    U.S. Navy – Ships-of-the-line A Frigate vs A Ship-of-the-Line: What’s the difference? FRIGATE: A vessel of war which is: 1) “ship” rigged, i.e. – with at least three masts (fore, main, & mizzen) & each mast carries the horizontal yards from which the principle sails are set; 2) this “ship-rigged vessel of war” is a FRIGATE because it has one covered, principle gun deck – USS Constitution is therefore a FRIGATE by class (illus. left) SHIP-OF-THE-LINE: A vessel of war which is: 1) “ship” rigged (see above); 2) this “ship-rigged vessel of war” is a SHIP-OF-THE-LINE because it has two or more covered gun decks – HMS Victory is therefore a SHIP-OF-THE-LINE by class (illus. right) HMS Victory (1765); 100+ guns; 820 officers Constitution preparing to battle Guerriere, & crew; oldest commissioned warship in the M.F. Corne, 1812 – PEM Coll. world, permanently dry docked in England Pg. 1 NMM Coll. An Act, 2 January 1813 – for the construction of the U.S. Navy’s first Ships-of-the-line USS Independence was the first ship-of-the-line launched for the USN from the Boston (Charlestown) Navy Yard on 22 June 1814: While rated for 74-guns, Independence was armed with 87 guns when she was launched. USS Washington was launched at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, 1 October 1814 USS Pennsylvania – largest sailing warship built for the USN USS Pennsylvania – rated for 136 guns on three covered gun decks + guns on her upper (spar) deck – the largest sailing warship ever built.
    [Show full text]
  • Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est
    N a v a l O r d e r o f t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s – S a n F r a n c i s c o C o m m a n d e r y Mission: History Studiorum Historiam Praemium Est Volume 2, Number 1 HHHHHH 3 January 2000 1911: Naval Aviation is Born on San Francisco Bay; Aeroplane Lands on, Takes Off from Pennsylvania Feat Im presses Congress – $25,000 Voted to Develop Navy Aeroplane Program SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 18, 1911-- Eugene Ely, an aviator in the employ of Glenn H. Curtiss, maker of aeroplanes, today landed a flying machine upon a makeshift platform built on USS Penn- sylvania, which was riding at anchor on San Francisco Bay. After discussing his feat with offi- cials and naval officers on board the armored cruiser, Ely climbed on his aeroplane and calmly took off from the ship, landing safely on Crissy Field at THE LANDING SYSTEM HAD IT ALL. The arresting cables were attached to 50-pound sandbags the Army’s Presidio of San Francisco. which were held off the deck by two longitudinal rails. The C urtiss D-IV airplane had a tailhook — i actually several tailhooks — to snag the cables. At the forward end of the “flight deck,” a canvas Ely’s feat might be called the first barrier was stretched to protect the ship’s superstructure in case the airplane didn’t stop. carrier operation. And though the previ- ous November he took off from a tem- 1944: Japs Splash Pappy – Marine Ace, Wingman porary platform built on the bow of the cruiser USS Birmingham, then in Shot Down over Slot While Leading Raid on Rabaul Hampton Roads, Va., the San Francisco When Marine Corps fighter squad- months later.
    [Show full text]
  • The Provision of Naval Defense in the Early American Republic a Comparison of the U.S
    SUBSCRIBE NOW AND RECEIVE CRISIS AND LEVIATHAN* FREE! “The Independent Review does not accept “The Independent Review is pronouncements of government officials nor the excellent.” conventional wisdom at face value.” —GARY BECKER, Noble Laureate —JOHN R. MACARTHUR, Publisher, Harper’s in Economic Sciences Subscribe to The Independent Review and receive a free book of your choice* such as the 25th Anniversary Edition of Crisis and Leviathan: Critical Episodes in the Growth of American Government, by Founding Editor Robert Higgs. This quarterly journal, guided by co-editors Christopher J. Coyne, and Michael C. Munger, and Robert M. Whaples offers leading-edge insights on today’s most critical issues in economics, healthcare, education, law, history, political science, philosophy, and sociology. Thought-provoking and educational, The Independent Review is blazing the way toward informed debate! Student? Educator? Journalist? Business or civic leader? Engaged citizen? This journal is for YOU! *Order today for more FREE book options Perfect for students or anyone on the go! The Independent Review is available on mobile devices or tablets: iOS devices, Amazon Kindle Fire, or Android through Magzter. INDEPENDENT INSTITUTE, 100 SWAN WAY, OAKLAND, CA 94621 • 800-927-8733 • [email protected] PROMO CODE IRA1703 The Provision of Naval Defense in the Early American Republic A Comparison of the U.S. Navy and Privateers, 1789–1815 F NICHOLAS J. ROSS he War of 1812 began badly for British ocean-going commerce. Although the United States had a pitifully small navy, it did have a large merchant T marine fleet keen to make a profit. Shortly after the outbreak of the war, the London Times lamented, “American merchant seamen were almost to a man con- verted into privateersmen and the whole of our West India trade either has or will in consequence sustain proportionate loss” (Letters from New York State 1812).
    [Show full text]
  • A British Perspective on the War of 1812 by Andrew Lambert
    A British Perspective on the War of 1812 by Andrew Lambert The War of 1812 has been referred to as a victorious “Second A decade of American complaints and economic restrictions action. Finally, on January 14th 1815 the American flagship, the rights and impressment. By accepting these terms the Americans War for Independence,” and used to define Canadian identity, only served to convince the British that Jefferson and Madison big 44 gun frigate USS President commanded by Stephen Decatur, acknowledged the complete failure of the war to achieve any of but the British only remember 1812 as the year Napoleon were pro-French, and violently anti-British. Consequently, was hunted down and defeated off Sandy Hook by HMS their strategic or political aims. Once the treaty had been marched to Moscow. This is not surprising. In British eyes, when America finally declared war, she had very few friends Endymion. The American flagship became signed, on Christmas Eve 1814, the the conflict with America was an annoying sideshow. The in Britain. Many remembered the War of Independence, some HMS President, a name that still graces the list British returned the focus to Europe. Americans had stabbed them in the back while they, the had lost fathers or brothers in the fighting; others were the of Her Majesty’s Fleet. The war at sea had British, were busy fighting a total war against the French sons of Loyalists driven from their homes. turned against America, the U.S. Navy had The wisdom of their decision soon Empire, directed by their most inveterate enemy.
    [Show full text]
  • March 2009 ICS Ad-8.5X11-Alabama 3/10/09 1:24 PM Page 1
    THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE A L A B A M A OF THE ALABAMA STATE PORT AUTHORITY SEAPORT MarCH 2009 ICS ad-8.5x11-Alabama 3/10/09 1:24 PM Page 1 Alabama Seaport PuBlishED continuOuSly since 1927 • marCh 2009 On The Cover: an aerial view of the progress of the Pinto Island Steel Terminal shot march 2. governor Bob riley and representatives from Thyssenkrupp Steel toured the facility in February. 4 8 Alabama State Port Authority P.O. Box 1588, Mobile, Alabama 36633, USA Contents P: 251.441.7200 • F: 251.441.7216 • asdd.com alabama governor Surveys Progress at new Pinto Island Terminal ........4 James K. Lyons, Director, CEO Larry R. Downs, Secretary-Treasurer/CFO Flanagan Steps up as Interim Port Police Chief .........................................7 EXECutiVE a global Investment in mobile and the Port: PErsonnEl Charles F. Sleeman, Manager P: 251.441.7209 Introducing global Stainless Steel Corporation ............................................8 FinanCial SerVICes hispanic-american association Seeks to Strengthen Community .........10 Larry Downs, Secretary/Treasurer 251.441.7050 Linda K. Paaymans, Vice President 251.441.7036 Port Calls: alabama Coastal Birding Trail ................................................. 12 COmptrOllEr Pete Dranka 251.441.7057 Information TechnOlOgy Stan Hurston, Manager 251.441.7017 at the helm: austal uSa ................................................................................16 human Resources Danny Barnett, Manager 251.441.7004 made in alabama: alabama river Pulp marks 30 years of Operation ......18 Risk
    [Show full text]
  • Black Sailors During the War of 1812 Lauren Mccormack, 2005 Revised by Kate Monea and Carl Herzog, 2020
    Black Sailors During the War of 1812 Lauren McCormack, 2005 Revised by Kate Monea and Carl Herzog, 2020 A publication of the USS Constitution Museum, Boston © 2020 USS Constitution Museum | usscm.org Black Sailors During the War of 1812 Lauren McCormack, 2005 Revised by Kate Monea and Carl Herzog, 2020 CONTENTS Introduction .............................................................1 Free Blacks in the Post-Revolutionary American North ........................2 Free Blacks in Boston, Massachusetts ........................................5 Black Participation in the Maritime Trade ....................................7 Life at Sea for Black Sailors in the early United States Navy ....................10 Black Sailors on USS Constitution ..........................................17 A publication of the USS Constitution Museum, Boston © 2020 USS Constitution Museum | usscm.org Introduction At the beginning of the nineteenth century, free black men from the northeastern United States, struggling to make their way in a highly discriminatory American society, went to sea in the merchant marine and the U.S. Navy, including aboard USS Constitution. By no means did shipboard life completely extract them from the prejudices of a white-dominated culture, but it often provided them with better opportunities than they had on land. Like their fellow white sailors, black seamen in the Early Republic could count on stable pay with the benefit of room and board. For many, sea service and its pay provided a path to a better life ashore. Because race was not specifically noted in U.S. Navy personnel records at the time, much remains unknown about these men. However, a survey of the status of life for free blacks on shore sheds light on why some may have found seafaring an attractive opportunity.
    [Show full text]
  • The War of 1812 Researching a Post-Revolutionary War Ancestor Debra Dudek, Bolingbrook, IL 60440 [email protected] © Debra M
    The War of 1812 Researching a Post-Revolutionary War Ancestor Debra Dudek, Bolingbrook, IL 60440 [email protected] www.debradudek.com © Debra M. Dudek, 2017-2020 – Not to be copied without permission Did They Serve? Analyze Birth Year of Male Ancestors 1726-1767 1762-1799 1811-1848 Revolutionary War War of 1812 Civil War (1775-1783) (1812-1815) (1861-1865) ‘Old War’ Veteran? Possible Service & Pension Records 1832 1836-1839 1835-1858 Blackhawk War Cherokee Seminole Wars Disturbances Black Hole of Records 1850-1900 1810-1877 1780-1833 • Census (1850 – onward) • Census (1810 – 1870) • Census (1790-1830) • Wills and Probate • • Wills and Probate Probate • Land and Legal • Land and Legal • Land and Legal • Military Service • Military Service (?) • Military Service (?) • Military Pension • Land Bounty • DAR Compiled Information • DAR Descendant Chart • Copy of Family Bible Records Where did our War of 1812 Ancestors Serve? . Near Canadian Border (1812-1815) . On Land - Michigan, Ohio, New York, Maine . Great Lakes, Lake Champaign, St. Lawrence Seaway . Creek War (1813-1814) . On Land – Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida (Pensacola) . Fighting later moved to New Orleans (1814-1815) . East Coast (1814-1815) . Blockade of Eastern Ports . Bombardment of Fort McHenry (1814) . Invasion of Maryland and Virginia . Burning of Washington D.C. (1814) . Northwest Territories (1812-1814) . On Land – Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana . Evacuation of Fort Dearborn (Chicago) . Naval Battles on the Great Lakes . Sacket's Harbor (New York) 1812 & 1813 . Battle of Lake Erie (Put-In-Bay, Ohio) 1813 . Battle of Lake Champlain (New York) 1814 . Naval Battles in Harbor . USS Chesapeake vs. HMS Shannon (Boston Harbor) 1813 .
    [Show full text]