Sea Warfare

Sea Warfare
in the history of the American Republic has consisted of two missions—control of sea lanes and projection of power ashore. During the Revolutionary War, a great many American merchant ships were outfitted as privateers and preyed on the commerce of Great Britain. According to the records of Lloyds, between 1775 and 1781 American privateers captured 2,600 British merchantmen. The financial impact of these captures on the most influential Britons was an important factor in bringing about American independence. With higher priorities in Europe and India, the British navy attempted to blockade American ports with little success. American projection of power ashore was limited to small raids, but the brief blockade of the Yorktown peninsula by the French fleet under the Comte de Grasse in 1781 was crucial to Gen. George Washington's victory over Gen. [The entire page is 2105 words long]

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