VIOLENT BIRTHRIGHT: 5/8 The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K. O'Donnell (Author)

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John Batchelor

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🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 14 minutes

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VIOLENT BIRTHRIGHT: 5/8 The Indispensables: The Diverse Soldier-Mariners Who Shaped the Country, Formed the Navy, and Rowed Washington Across the Delaware by Patrick K. O'Donnell (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Indispensables-Marbleheads-Soldier-Mariners-Washington-Delaware/dp/0802156894

On the stormy night of August 29, 1776, the Continental Army faced capture or annihilation after losing the Battle of Brooklyn. The British had trapped George Washington’s forces against the East River, and the fate of the Revolution rested upon the shoulders of the soldier-mariners from Marblehead, Massachusetts. Serving side by side in one of the country’s first diverse units, they pulled off an “American Dunkirk” and saved the army by transporting it across the treacherous waters of the river to Manhattan.

In the annals of the American Revolution, no group played a more consequential role than the Marbleheaders. At the right time in the right place, they repeatedly altered the course of events, and their story shines new light on our understanding of the Revolution. As acclaimed historian Patrick K. O’Donnell dramatically recounts, beginning nearly a decade before the war started, and in the midst of a raging virus that divided the town politically, Marbleheaders such as Elbridge Gerry and Azor Orne spearheaded the break with Britain and shaped the nascent United States by playing a crucial role governing, building alliances, seizing British ships, forging critical supply lines, and establishing the origins of the US Navy.

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1:05.0	This is CBS Eye on the World.
1:08.5	Here's John Batchel.
1:15.2	The author Patrick O'Donnell, his new book, The Indispensibles,
1:20.5	The Diverse Soldier Mariners who shaped the country, formed the Navy and rode Washington across the Delaware. This is the story of Marblehead, Massachusetts, and its brave self-sacrificing volunteers. During the revolution, which was also a civil war, their neighbors were loyalists, and yet they survived the war, fought all the way through.
1:37.8	We are now in 1776. The marbleheaders have formed the lifeguard around Washington, in addition to having a marblehead
1:46.7	regiment with the Continental Army. Washington has moved his headquarters, his headquarters,
1:52.2	from the siege of Boston, the British withdrew, to New York, to Manhattan himself. Washington
1:58.1	is going to Manhattan. He's now headquarters on Pearl Street.
2:01.9	He's guarded by the lifeguard, led by Caleb Gibbs of Marblehead and others. And there's an
2:08.4	assassination plot. Patrick, a very good evening to you. Wonderful, the storytelling, especially
2:14.6	the assassination of George Washington, and gets my attention.
2:18.7	Who was behind this and how was it put together? Good evening.
	...

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