[ad_1]
As you enter Shaw Mansion, you can see a plaque next to the door stating that Shaw Mansion served as the US Naval Office during the American Revolution. The meaning of this simple statement is a bit complex.
The Continental Navy was officially established on October 13, 1775. However, this did not mean that the country would build ships flying the flag of the United States. Any new Nzvy needs regulations and a clear chain of command.
The arduous task of drafting the regulations fell to Congress. Esek Hopkins was appointed to command the Continental Fleet of six ships, a mere fraction of the entire Revolutionary Navy. When the Continental Navy needed more ships, it asked governors of various states to loan ships to state navies. The US naval office in New London had little to do with the Continental Navy.
On March 23, 1776, Congress passed a Maritime Act authorizing general reprisals and the use of letters of marque, authorizing the use of force against British ships.
The legislation was the first step in instituting the practice of racing in the War of Independence.
“It was decided that all ships & c. belonging to inhabitants of Great Britain as indicated above, which shall be taken by any warship, fitted out by and at the expense of any of the United Colonies, shall be deemed to be confiscated and divided, after deduction and payment of the wages of the sailors and sailors as indicated above, in the manner and in the proportions which the Assembly or the Convention of that colony will order.
British ships were now legally available to privateers as a prize to be taken.
Privateer racing is often wrongly defined as legalized piracy. Still, there are significant differences between pirates and privateers. Pirates were individuals who chose to leave institutionalized maritime activity to free themselves from laws and regulations. Their activity at sea was often democratic. They elected their captain and voted on their destination. The captain was only allowed to command during battle. This concept is quite different from traditional ships where the captain is the only authority on board the ship. When a ship was taken by pirates, the money associated with that capture was divided by the crew’s agreement. Conversely, privateers had to obey the laws, and their course was determined by the captain or owners of the ship, while captures were ruled lawful by the courts, and the cash prizes awarded were distributed according to strict written guidelines. by Congress.
On April 3, 1776, Congress published the articles under which privateers were to sail. In addition, the conduct of the crew was ensured by the owners who posted a bond with the naval officers. A letter of marque issued by the naval officer was required for anyone wishing to enter the race.
A letter of marque is a document that provided protections to the privateer, as it declared that the privateer was a military fighter. As such, the captured privateer was treated as a prisoner of war.
Without the letter of marque, the privateer was subject to piracy laws, and therefore available to be charged and tried for piracy. Prisoners of war were given rights to decent treatment, available for exchange of prisoners, and safe return home after signing a treaty. The pirates were usually hanged.
Naval officers were appointed to administer the Continental Navy in each state, but most of their job was to organize the racing effort.
The officer’s job was arduous. They were required to keep all administrative records of all individuals and vessels engaged in the activity. Most of the colonies had agents; in some cases there were two, and in Virginia’s case there was none.
In Connecticut, Nathaniel Shaw Jr. was appointed Naval Agent on April 17, 1776. Shaw not only served as Agent for the Continental Congress, he also served as Agent for the Colony of Connecticut. He became the sole administrator of all warships entering and leaving New London harbor.
After a privateer captured an enemy ship, the process of receiving a cash prize was long. The law stipulated that any captured ship had to be brought to the nearest colonial port. Once there, the vessel was inventoried and written accounts of its capture were collected.
The inventories and accounts were then sent to a county court for review, and the court declared whether the capture was legal. Then the courts awarded cash prizes.
Everyone involved in the capture, whether crew members, officers, captains, naval agents, investors, state government or colonial government, saw each other allocate a percentage of the money earned on each sale of captured vessels.
There are different estimates of the number of ships taken by privateers and brought into Connecticut ports. Several sources report that 500 ships have been taken, while others report 600 ships.
The confusion over the numbers centered around two issues: differing opinions on what constituted an official price and issues with the number of documents destroyed when Benedict Arnold burned New London in 1781.
New London’s running effort, as with all colonies, was significant at least from an economic standpoint. British navigation to the colonies became quite dangerous and insurance rates for such voyages became prohibitive.
Running during the Revolution was quite lucrative. Men motivated by the prospect of a 150% salary increase signed aboard privateers taking advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of it.
This opportunity was responsible for the largest fleet of American ships sailing during the Revolution.
Steven Manuel is the executive director of the New London County Historical Society.
[ad_2]
Source link