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The HMS Gaspee and her commander, Lt. William Dudingston, were sent by King George III from England to the Rhode Island seacoast in March of 1772. They were to enforce Britain’s trade laws and collect taxes. On land and on sea Lt. Dudington followed King George’s orders and repeatedly harassed the local population telling them what they could and could not do. This angered the Rhode Island Colonists to a breaking point.

On June 9th the HMS Gaspee became stranded on a sandbar off Namquid Point (now Gaspee Point) and would not be able to sail until the tide came in the next day. The HMS Gaspee distress was immediately reported to John Brown who was a powerful merchant and trader in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon hearing the news he held a meeting in a local tavern to plan the capture of Lt. Dudingston and the crew from the grounded ship. If they could accomplish that, the Colonists would then proceed to set fire to and sink the ship. All went as planned. In the dark of the night on June 9th, a surprised Lt. Dudingston and his crew were arrested by the Colonists and removed from the ship. Then, in the early morning of June 10th the HMS Gaspee was blown up where she lay.

Attempts and a reward from King George to learn which Colonists committed this crime were unsuccessful. The majority of Rhode Island Colonists were tired of the King George’s unfair taxation and silently supported the confinement of the crew and destruction of the HMS Gaspee.

Many American historians consider these events of June 9th and 10th 1772 to be the original act of the American Revolution.