Political Quotes

“Madam President, the night spanning June 9 and 10 marks the anniversary of a key chapter in American history--one whose first shots spurred our Nation on toward independence from Britain, yet one that remains unfamiliar to most Americans today, which is why I come here each year to tell the tale of the Gaspee Raiders. I encourage my colleagues and all students of history to explore this chapter in more depth, in histories such as ``An Empire on the Edge'' by Nick Bunker or ``The Burning of Her Majesty's Schooner Gaspee: An Attack on Crown Rule Before the American Revolution'' by Steven Park. Here is the tale in brief form. It is 1772. Tensions between England and the Colonies have grown increasingly strained. Rhode Island is a seafaring, trading colony, without much regard for His Majesty's taxes. King George III stations the revenue cutter HMS Gaspee under the command of Lieutenant William Dudingston, in Rhode Island waters. The Gaspee's mission: to interdict smuggled goods and enforce the payment of the Crown's taxes. Lieutenant Dudingston was an arrogant sort, who quickly became infamous for destroying fishing vessels, seizing cargo, and flagging down ships only to harass, humiliate, and interrogate the colonial sailors.…”