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Danger on Chesapeake Bay
As the population in Chesapeake Bay region increased, ships
carrying goods to and from the region sailed up and down the Bay.
They were prime targets for pirates. Authorities had difficulty
capturing pirates and putting an end to their illegal acts. During
the Revolutionary War, shipping in and out of the Bay nearly came to a
standstill. (Remember, there would be no shortcut, no Chesapeake and
Delaware Canal, until 1829.) Ships entering and leaving Chesapeake
Bay had to sail between Cape Charles and Cape Henry. Pirates used
this geographical fact to their advantage throughout the 17th and 18th
centuries, and privateers used this geographical fact to their
advantage during the Revolutionary War and the War 1812. After
attacking ships at sea, pirates would often burn and sink these ships
so that no evidence of their evil deed could be used against them in a
court of law.
In colonial times, even though America had several thriving shipyards,
the American Navy was in its very beginning stages. Here is a map
that shows the locations of shipbuilding areas in America's early
days. Where were the shipbuilding centers of Chesapeake Bay area
located?
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Click on the image to see a larger map
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Go to this web site on the
history of the Fells Point area of Baltimore
and read
about Thomas Kemp and his successful Baltimore shipyard. This is the
kind of Baltimore clipper that Thomas Kemp and other shipwrights of
Baltimore were building.
Both pirates and privateers wanted fast, sleek ships that could carry
a lot of sail aloft. This type of ship was also very easy to
maneuver, so the captains could out-sail their opponents.
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