Sail on a Colonial Tall Ship
I recently wrote about the tall ship Schooner Sultana, which was part of the Alexandria Waterfront Festival.
The replica of a 1796 British Revenue Cutter and Dispatch ship intrigued me, so I did a bit of research.
The original Sultana was built in Boston in 1767, as a Revenue Cutter. It’s mission was to inspect the holds of cargo ships and ferret out smugglers, who were looking to avoid paying King George’s taxes under the Townshend Acts (1767). Goods imported into America, notably lead, paper, glass and tea (think the Boston tea party), were taxed. The result, colonialists were outraged.
Typically, …read more
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