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Today in History: Abraham Whipple leads colonists to burn Gaspee

6/9/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On June 9 1772, the British revenue schooner HMS Gaspee ran aground near Warwick, Rhode Island, while pursuing the packet Hannah. Colonists led by Commodore Abraham Whipple and merchant John Brown boarded the stranded vessel and set it ablaze, striking a direct blow against the Navigation Acts and fueling revolutionary sentiment, in the colonies' push toward independence.

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Story summary

On June 9 1772, the British revenue schooner HMS Gaspee ran aground near Warwick, Rhode Island, while pursuing the packet Hannah. Colonists led by Commodore Abraham Whipple and merchant John Brown boarded the stranded vessel and set it ablaze, striking a direct blow against the Navigation Acts and fueling revolutionary sentiment, in the colonies' push toward independence.