As an isolated island outpost, Martha's Vineyard faced some unique
challenges during the American Revolution. Neutrality was maintained at
the start of the war due to the impact of the British regulations on the
fishing and whaling industries. While political expediency may have
dominated the day, Vineyard Patriots protected their homeland against
the Royal Navy and contributed to the revolutionary effort against
marauding British redcoats. In 1778, two key events--one involving three
young women and the second an armada of forty naval ships--crystalized
the opinion of Vineyarders that they should no longer remain neutral to
British incursions on the Island and, more broadly, on American soil.
Join local author Tom Dresser as he reveals the unheralded contributions
of islanders to the fight for freedom.