Boston, the Navy Yard, and the War of 1812

When the Federal government established a navy yard in Massachusetts in 1800, it chose Boston Harbor. Boston, a thriving town of more than 34,000 people, was home to hundreds of skilled ship carpenters, riggers, caulkers, and other maritime tradesmen. With such a community close at hand, the Navy established the new yard just across the Charles River on Charlestown's grassy tidal flats. During the War of 1812, many Boston tradesmen and laborers worked to build and repair U.S. Navy vessels, local merchants supplied hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of timber, paint, canvas, rope, clothing, and foodstuff needed to send ships to sea, and thousands of local men signed on as crew.

Cambridge, Massachusetts · United States