Gaspee was a boat for the British to sail on
1772
the rhode islanders
Boston massacre- killing of 5 men when soldiers were at the coloniesGaspee affair- the torching of the schooner Gaspee
in bed
John Brown
Gaspee
June 10th, 1772
Lieutenant William Dudingston
On June 9, 1772 the British revenue schooner, Cutter Gaspee, ran aground in Rhode Island. Colonists set fire to the ship during the night.
In early 1772, locals in Rhode Island who opposed British trade policies turned to violence. The British cutter Gaspee, commanded by Lt. William Dudingston, had begun cracking down on smuggling. Dudingston was quite zealous in his job and often stopped innocent ships and/or seized legitimate supplies without payment. On June 9, 1772, locals plotted to lured the Gaspee into shallow waters off Namquit Point. There, the Gaspee ran aground. Colonialists raided the Gaspee under cover of night, wounding Dudingston and rounding up his crew. Finally, the Gaspee was set on fire. The British government considered this a direct challenge to royal authority. The Rhode Island Governor issued an arrest warrant and reward for the unnamed participants but the raiding party was never arrested. It was known in the papers as the Gaspee Affair. Shortly after this, the British redircted their attention to Boston and the Boston Tea Party.
The colonists from Rhode Island went to the Gaspee on June 10, 1773 and surrounded the boat. They then took all the crew members as prisoners and shot at the captain, Lt. Duddington, but he wasn't killed. When the crew was off the ship, the Rhode Islanders, lead by John Brown, looted and burned the ship. The Gaspee then exploded from the fire.
Newport and Providence, along the river in Rhode Island