Click2History - American Colonies - Chapter 3

<BODY aLink=#ff0000 bgColor=#000033 link=#0000ff vLink=#000000> <TABLE bgColor=#000033 width="100%"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD align=middle vAlign=top> <TABLE bgColor=#ffffff width="90%"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD align=middle vAlign=top> <TR> <TD> <DIV align=center> <P><B><FONT color=#000000 face="arial, helvetica" size=5><B>WE ARE FREE!</P> <P><FONT size=4>CHAPTER 3 - AMERICAN "FIRSTS"</B></FONT></P></DIV></FONT> <CENTER> <TABLE width="90%"> <TBODY> <TR> <TD align=left vAlign=top> <DIV align=justify> <P><FONT color=#000000 face="arial, helvetica" size=3>Believing they could stand against the British, the Continental Congress <A href="http://www.multied.com/revolt/Navy.html" target=_blank><B>established</B></A> the U.S. Navy on November 28, 1775. <A href="http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/bdsds/photo09.jpg" target=_blank><B>Admiral Esex Hopkins</B></A> was the first (and only) Commander-in-Chief of the American "fleet" (six war vessels).</P> <P>The first battleship owned by America was the <A href="http://media.nara.gov/media/images/43/12/43-1162a.gif" target=_blank><B><I>U.S.S. Alfred</B></I></A> (formerly a 24-gun private vessel known as the <I>Black Prince</I>). Lt. <A href="http://media.nara.gov/media/images/43/12/43-1116a.gif" target=_blank><B>John Paul Jones</B></A> took command of the one-year-old <I>Alfred</I> on December 3, 1775, as he raised the first flag of the United States: the <A href="http://www.icss.com/usflag/grand.union.1775.html" target=_blank><B>Grand Union Flag</B></A>.</P> <P>With additional weapons and a new <A href="http://www.walika.com/sr/uniforms/s13.htm" target=_blank><B>Continental Navy</B></A> in place, the thirteen colonies ended 1775 in a way they would never end another year: British-owned. Within months, the patriots would formally declare their independence from George III.</P></DIV> <P align=center><FONT size=2><a href="am_colonies_ch2.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>     <a href="am_colonies_ch1.htm">BACK TO FIRST CHAPTER</a>     <a href="am_colonies_ch4.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></P><BR></FONT></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></CENTER></B></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></BODY>