1. The Prosperous Mariner Community of Marblehead and its Revolutionary Leadership Author: Patrick O'Donnell Book Title: The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington across the Delaware Mar

The John Batchelor Show

1. The Prosperous Mariner Community of Marblehead and its Revolutionary Leadership
Author: Patrick O'Donnell
Book Title: The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington across the Delaware
Marblehead was the second-largest port city in Massachusetts and a thriving cosmopolitan community, with a population estimated at about 5,000. Its economy relied heavily on fishing, specifically codfish from the Grand Banks, which were salted and traded globally via a massive merchant fleet. This commerce fostered some of the wealthiest men in the colonies. Key leaders included Jeremiah Lee, a man of enormous wealth and influence, and John Glover, a scrappy, stocky, red-haired self-made man who started as a cobbler and built a successful fleet of ships. These men, along with Elbridge Gerry, were prominent members of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, sitting on crucial committees of supply and safety. They leveraged their trade routes to bring in vital resources, such as gunpowder and cannon, securing Spain as the colonies' "first foreign aid" in 1774. Glover led the Marblehead Regiment, which was notably diverse, including African Americans like Caesar Glover and Romeo, who sailed and fought together.