250th Anniversary of the U.S. Merchant Marine's First Trial By Fire

250th Anniversary of the U.S. Merchant Marine's First Trial By Fire

On Thursday, the U.S. merchant marine celebrated what might be considered its 250th anniversary. In peace and war, merchant mariners carry the nation's commerce and back up the U.S. military - and in 1775, they proved it for the first time.  In May and June 1775, shortly after the start of the American Revolutionary War, British forces hired a Loyalist shipowner - Ichabod Jones - to obtain lumber from local suppliers at the port of Machias. The …

250 Years Ago, the Merchant Marine Took Up Arms for American Freedom

Today marks the 250th anniversary of what historians consider the birth of the U.S. Merchant Marine and the first naval battle of the American Revolution. On June 12, 1775, merchant...