Political Quotes

“I rise today to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of Machias, ME, a remarkable town on the Downeast Coast that exemplifies the determination, resiliency, and courage of our Nation. It was there, in 1775, just 12 years after the village was established, that the first naval battle of the American Revolution was fought and won. The word ``Machias'' translates from the language of the Passamaquoddy Indians as ``bad little falls.'' The rushing water where the Machias River plunges to the sea and the vast stands of virgin pine drew the first settlers in 1763, who built a successful sawmill and a thriving community. In early June of 1775, word reached Machias of the Battles at Lexington and Concord in April, the first military engagements of the American Revolution. When two British cargo ships, escorted by the warship Margaretta, arrived at Machiasport to take on a shipment of lumber to build barracks for British troops under siege in Boston, they were met by patriots eager to join the fight for freedom. On June 12, with the town under threat of bombardment if it did not cooperate with the lumber shipment, a militia of 30 men under the command of CPT Jeremiah O'Brien stormed the Margaretta. Armed with muskets, pitchforks, and axes, the militia captured the warship and sailed it triumphantly into harbor. The battle known as the ``Lexington of the Seas'' was a stunning American victory.…”