Browsing: Military

A Brief History On December 3, 1775, the Alfred, a merchant ship purchased by the Continental Congress was commissioned under Captain Dudley Saltonstall and became the first to fly what would become the American Flag.  The US Navy marks October 13, 1775, as its birthday, the day when the Continental Congress passed the resolution that created the Continental Navy, the precursor to the United States Navy. Digging Deeper The Alfred was not the first ship purchased specifically for the Continental Navy, as that honor goes to the Cabot and the Andrew Doria (not to be confused with the doomed 20th…

A Brief History On December 1, 1768, the Danish ship Fredensborg sank in a storm off the coast of Norway on her return trip from a death filled delivery of slaves to St. Croix in the Caribbean.  Previously we reported on “10 Infamous Ships”  and today we list “10 More Infamous Ships” that either served an evil purpose or were particularly unlucky, and are remembered today with less than fond memories.  As always, we invite our readers to add those nominees they think belong on such a list.  (Note: the RMS Titanic and SS Edmund Fitzgerald are TOO obvious!) Digging…

A Brief History On November 29, 1729, the Native American Natchez people who had been living peacefully with their French colonist neighbors in the area of what is now Natchez, Mississippi rose up and attacked the French, killing 138 men, 56 children, and 35 women at the French Fort Rosalie. Digging Deeper New France had extended in North America well beyond Canada and Northern part of what is now the United States, with a large Southern and Western territory claimed by France, much of which later became the property of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  French…

A Brief History In 1952, the .308 Winchester was introduced, just two years before the NATO adopted the 7.62x51mm NATO T65. Winchester branded the cartridge, introduced it to the commercial hunting market, and shortly after, it became the most popular short-action, big-game hunting cartridge worldwide. I delve more into that later, but for now, some of you might be thinking: what is the best scope for 308?  Ask the Swedish. We actually did not know the Swedes use a .308 scope until one American’s journey to Ikea’s homeland. Digging Deeper It all began when an American hunter journeyed to Sweden,…

A Brief History On November 16, 1871, the National Rifle Association received its charter from the State of New York, starting a long and distinguished history as a major force in encouraging marksmanship by Americans as preparation for possible military service and promoting the shooting sports.  Later emphasis on the rights of gun owners and shooters embroiled the organization in political mire and in recent years the once universally admired organization has generated much backlash against its political activities, including hatred from those that oppose the 2nd Amendment.  How did things go so wrong?  The answer is a bit complex,…