How do I find a Connecticut privateer’s commission?

At it's most basic level, privateering could be considered legalized piracy. Privateers were given a commission by the state government or Continental Congress to search for and attack merchant ships. This action benefited both the authorizing government, as it weakened the enemy's supply chain, and the privateer, who received a portion of the proceeds fromContinue reading "How do I find a Connecticut privateer’s commission?"

Was the Connecticut Continental Line Segregated?

Short answer: no. The integration of military units during the American Revolution is a question that has largely yet to be touched by scholarship. Many accounts mention only that Washington banned recruitment of African American soldiers in 1775; that British Commander Lord Dunmore offered freedom to those who joined his "Ethiopian" unit in November ofContinue reading "Was the Connecticut Continental Line Segregated?"

My ancestor served in the Army: the three types of Revolutionary War Army service

When we talk about an ancestor's service in World War I, we're talking about service in a single organization - the US Army. However, an ancestor who served in the American Revolution could have served in one of three different "organizations." The militia tradition was very strong in the colonies. While the British Army constitutedContinue reading "My ancestor served in the Army: the three types of Revolutionary War Army service"

What’s the Minerva?

Owned by William Griswold, the Minerva served first in the Revolutionary Navy.[1] In August of 1775, it received a commission from the colony of Connecticut: […] that a certain brig, called the Minerva, belonging to Capt. Griswold and now lying in Connecticut River at Rocky Hill, is one proper vessel to be employed for theContinue reading "What’s the Minerva?"

What’s a privateer?

Although we generally focus on conflict on land, the American Revolution also occurred at sea. The British had a powerful Navy. The colonists - not so much. To help supplement their forces, they employed privateers. A privateer is a privately owned ship, given permission by their government to attack an enemy ship during wartime. TheContinue reading "What’s a privateer?"