The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware

Presented by Patrick K. O’Donnell*

On the stormy night of August 29, 1776, the Continental Army faced capture or annihilation after losing the Battle of Brooklyn. The fate of the Revolution rested upon the shoulders of the soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts, who saved the army by navigating the treacherous waters of the river the Manhattan. White, Black, Hispanic, and Native American, this uniquely diverse group of soldiers set an inclusive standard the US Army would not reach again for more than 170 years. In this lecture, Patrick O’Donnell discusses how the Marbleheaders repeatedly altered the course of events during the Revolution—from forming the elite Guard that protected General Washington to ferrying Continental forces across the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776.

This lecture will take place via Zoom. Registration ends at 5:30pm on the day of the lecture.