How out-of-work fishermen saved the American Revolution

historyanalysisThe Conversation1775 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

How out-of-work fishermen saved the American Revolution

the gist

In 1775 Parliament passed the Restraining Act, banning New Englanders from fishing in the Atlantic as punishment for colonial resistance. Overnight, thousands of skilled fishermen lost their livelihoods, and many joined the siege of Boston, with a French diplomat reporting that 4,800 sailors had deserted their ships. George Washington recruited the fishermen's schooners and crews, arming them to intercept British supply ships at Congress's expense. These converted fishing boats captured 55 British vessels in the early years of the war, including one carrying 2,000 muskets and a large mortar. The British navy was too thin to stop them.

how it works

Armed fishing schooners were fast, seaworthy and crewed by experienced sailors, so they could be turned into raiders quickly. Britain's navy was spread too thin to convoy supply ships, which left them open to capture.

so what

The fleet disrupted British supplies in the war's early months and helped keep the Revolution alive. It is often considered America's first navy, built from a punitive ban rather than a planned shipbuilding program.

the bigger pattern

Governments often create unintended military assets through economic punishment. Naval raiding by small armed merchant vessels was a common way weaker navies disrupted stronger ones in the eighteenth century.

more on this

background

The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary War. In 1776, Commodore Esek Hopkins was appointed by Congress to command the navy. Due to the efforts of several prominent patrons such as John Adams, the Continental Navy eventually developed into a substantial force, though it never replicated the successes of the Continental Army.

From Wikipedia: Continental Navy (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗

see

H. Charles McBarron, Jr., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

tormentor4555, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Illustrative photo · tormentor4555, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗