The First Fleets

“The First Fleets is one of the most original topics in naval history I’ve seen in a decade. Schaffer’s narrative flows in such a way to make it approachable and appealing to a broader audience.” —Claude Berube, author of On Wide Seas: The US Navy in the Jacksonian Era “The First Fleets is a model for writing maritime history. Schaffer connects us not with stories of yard arms and tar barrels, but with social, economic, and political history… . It is thoroughly researched, beautifully written, interesting and engaging on every page, and on an important and previously unexplored topic.” —Robert J. Allison, author of The American Revolution: A Concise History“The First Fleets tells the fascinating story of one of the least studied aspects of American history: the development of colonial navies. Historians have long recognized the importance of colonial soldiers and land-based militias. As Benjamin C. Schaffer reminds us, colonial governments built and manned provincial warships on the high seas. In the process, they created the infrastructure and skills that state and Continental navies used to help Americans win their independence from Britain. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, this book should be required reading for anyone interested in the military history of early America.” —Eliga H. Gould, University of New Hampshire

Benjamin C. Schaffer is an instructor of early American history at the University of South Carolina.