How the Ships of the Continental Navy Affected the American Revolution Sarah Kent HTY 498 December 18, 2012 1

Sailing for Independence: How the Ships of the Continental Navy Affected the American Revolution Sarah Kent HTY 498 December 18, 2012 1 I. Introduction Before there were trains, cars, and planes the sea provided the fastest travel route. As a result, sailing ships became one of the most important modes of transportation. They carried colonists to the New World and allowed trade to continue among the colonies, Europe, and the Caribbean. In addition, these grand ships brought warfare to the high seas. Britain mastered this art and had the largest and strongest navy in the world, which countless times gave them an advantage over their opponents. This did not deter the colonists from taking on the British Navy. The Continental Navy came together slowly. Initially, naval combat was primarily performed by the ships owned by the army, and by privateers who were legally sanctioned by the government to take actions against the enemy. As the colonies developed their own navy, they further developed shipbuilding, and many times ship conversion to create vessels ready to make war against Great Britain. Great Britain and the colonies used many of the same types of ships, but often made their own modifications in order to better serve their cause. Ships used by the colonies included brigs, brigantines, luggers, cutters, frigates, sloops and sloops of war along with several other models.1 Each of these ships served its own purpose. For example, smaller ships, such as cutters, were most frequently used for privateering, but each style of ship played a role in the American Revolution. The naval battles of the American Revolution became key to the American success and the British defeat. However, if the ships used by each navy had differed in any way the outcome could have drastically changed. Certain ships were used for battles, while others were used for the efforts of privateers. If the Continental Navy did not have 1 United States of America, Department of Navy, Sea Raiders of the American Revolution: The Continental Navy in European Waters, comp. E. Gordon Bowen-Hassell, Dennis M. Conrad, and Mark L. Hayes. (Washington, 2003), 19 2 the types of ships that it did, it would not have been as effective. The Continental Navy and the types of ships that it used were an important part of the American victory in the Revolution. II. A New Approach One of the most valuable secondary sources on the Continental navy was Sea Raiders of the American Revolution: The Continental Navy in European Waters by E. Gordon Bowen- Hassell, Dennis M. Conrad, and Mark L. Hayes. This government document was very effective because it examined in detail three Continental Navy captains that sailed in European waters and preyed on British ships.2 Included in this were accounts of the voyages of Lambert Wickes, Gustavus Connyngham, and John Paul Jones. For each naval captain a brief biography was given and then each of their cruises in European waters were closely examined. This was a very effective approach because it allowed each individual presented to be thoroughly understood, and for the reader to clearly see why each individual was vital to the Revolutionary cause. In addition, because each of these men were captains in the Continental Navy this text revealed the efficiency and effectiveness of the Continental Navy, which demonstrated its importance as a whole, to the Revolutionary cause.3 Although this was a very strong source, it lacked several valuable aspects. For one, it only featured three captains making its sample size very small, and therefore its argument rather weak because there wasn’t much to support it. In addition, as far as proving the importance of the Continental Navy in European waters, it focused more on the people and their actions than the navy as a whole. Also, with the focus being on Europe huge swaths of history relating to the Continental navy were omitted which might have strengthened the authors argument. So, for a 2 United States of America, Department of Navy, Sea Raiders of the American Revolution: The Continental Navy in European Waters, comp. E. Gordon Bowen-Hassell, Dennis M. Conrad, and Mark L. Hayes. (Washington, 2003) 3 Ibid 3 more comprehensive look at the Continental Navy, Nathan Millier’s book, Sea of Glory was the one to use. This text featured an overview of the actions of the Continental Navy throughout the war in both the American and European theatres. In order, to support his claims Miller used several small case studies in each chapter to reinforce the topic. He covered everything from the failures of the British Board of Admiralty to the formation of the Continental fleet and beyond. It was beneficial to have such a broad overview, but when it came to understanding the full benefits of the Continental Navy in the American Revolution this text lacked specific details that would explain why the navy was effective at this time. It did not look into what aspects made the Continental Navy so strong for such a brief existence or any weaknesses it had.4 Through the ships that the Continental Navy used both its strengths and shortcomings can be examined to the fullest extent. By looking at the different ship types, and then specific examples of each, the base of what was to become a very powerful navy can truly be seen. In order to fully understand the value of such ships, one must first understand the amount of effort that went into their construction. III. Shipbuilding For the island nation of Great Britain and her thirteen American colonies, sailing and the sea were a way of life. As a result, shipbuilding was a key part of society. Although shipbuilding was more prominent in England, it played a vital role in the colonies as well. The existence of shipbuilding in colonial America prior to the Revolution made the formation of a navy that much easier.5 The construction of a ship required highly skilled craftsmen. If the 4 Nathan Miller. Sea of Glory (New York: David McKay Company, Inc, 1974) 5 Joseph Goldenburg. Shipbuilding in Colonial America. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, 113- 114 4 process was not done with care the ship would not last, and thus time and money were wasted.6 Ships were most frequently commissioned by merchants who would then pay the ship builder in three stages. These terms were outlined in the formal contract which contained dimensions of the ship, the features that the merchant wanted it to contain, how payments were to be made, a delivery date was set, and it concluded with what would happen if the merchant or the builder did not uphold his end of the bargain. After the contract was signed the merchant began making payments to the builder. Merchants often divided their payments up, “one part in cash, one in West Indian rum and sugar, and the last in British goods.”7 With the contracts squared away building could commence on the ship. As with any building project, the process of shipbuilding began with the drafting of a plan for the ship. These plans contained the dimensions of the ship, but also kept in mind what the vessel was to be used for. Shipwrights had three sets of plans. One set showed the side view of the ship, the second showed the floor plan, and the third showed a cross section of the ship. However, on rare occasions the shipwright built the ship just by sight.8 This usually happened only when a builder was particularly familiar with a certain style of ship “The numerous 20-ton coasting schooners of Massachusetts and South Carolina were probably produced in this rough yet effective fashion.”9 From here, it was the shipwright’s responsibility, along with his crew, to begin modeling the design of the ship. This could be done one of two ways, either with the whole molding method or the sweep method. In each method, the builder began by building each section of the frame, which was composed of arcs known as sweeps. In the whole molding method the builder “made two full-scale bend and hollow molds and utilized the same design 6 Joseph Goldenburg. Shipbuilding in Colonial America. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, 111- 112 7 Joseph Goldenburg. Shipbuilding in Colonial America. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, 85 8 Joseph Goldenburg. Shipbuilding in Colonial America. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, 86-87 9 Joseph Goldenburg. Shipbuilding in Colonial America. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1976, 86 5 method to reproduce the shape of any station.”10 The sweep method then enlarged sections of molding in the body plan of the ship. The builder then made a full-scale wooden model, which was used to construct the ship. After the work was completed on the model the shipbuilder began acquiring the materials necessary for constructing the ship. The first material that was purchased was the lumber. In order to defer some of these costs, the lumber for the ships was often purchased in the form of timbers that had to be cut into planks. This lessened the expense that the shipwright had to put out because it eliminated the extra cost incurred by pre-cut lumber. All this meant for the shipwright was that he needed to put in the extra labor to cut the timbers into usable planks for the ship.11 However, cutting logs into planks was by no means a simple process. During the eighteenth century the logs had to be cut by hand most of the time. In order to cut logs, groups of up to four men had to use a ripsaw over a pit.

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