Summary of Patrick K. O'Donnell's The Indispensables

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

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#1 In 1797, a boarding party from the British frigate the HMS Rose went searching for four Marblehead sailors who had hidden themselves in the forepeak, a small space near the main hold. When they refused to yield, the British lieutenant attempted to push them around. One of the Marbleheaders stabbed him in the neck with a harpoon, and he died soon after.

#2 John Adams, one of the Founding Fathers and one of the most prominent attorneys in the colonies, represented Corbett at his trial. The witnesses all agreed in every detail. The council, which included the governor of Massachusetts, returned a surprising verdict: Justifiable homicide.

#3 Marblehead, MA, was a major influence in the American Revolution, second only to Boston. The town’s economy was based on cod, which were fished by Marbleheaders from schooners.

#4 Marblehead, MA, was a major influence on the American Revolution, and its inhabitants were extremely progressive for their time. The town was home to a mix of people of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Oct 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9798350032284

IRB Media

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Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The crew of the American merchant ship the Marblehead, Massachusetts, was impressing four of their members into service with the Royal Navy. They defiantly refused to yield, and one of the British officers fired his pistol, which hit one of the crewmen in the arm.

#2

The town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was one of the most heavily populated and prosperous towns in New England at the time. The pungent odor of fish wafted among the more than five thousand residents crammed into hundreds of clapboard houses.

#3

The town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, was an important influencer in the Revolution. The prominent merchant families of the town, the Glovers, Lees, Ornes, Gerrys, and Hoopers, amassed their wealth by risking the perils of the icy waters of the North Atlantic.

#4

Marblehead was a town of sailors and tradesmen, and it was extremely provincial. It was progressive for its time, with a mix of people from different races and socioeconomic backgrounds.

#5

John Glover was a wealthy merchant mariner who had risen to prominence in Marblehead. He had many qualities that would be useful in the rebellion against Britain.

#6

The Royal Navy’s use of impressment to force individuals to serve contributed to the American Revolution. It led to resentment, riots, and damaged Americans’ view of Great Britain.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

The Marblehead town meeting was a place where local politicians would meet to discuss politics. John Glover and several other gentlemen enjoyed a good fire, pipes, tobacco, wine, and good punch while discussing their frustrations or satisfaction with British rule.

#2

The Marblehead leaders were all extremely republican, and they infused that ideology into their lives. Elbridge Gerry, the most influential of the Marblehead leaders, would become a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, governor, and vice president.

#3

Elbridge Gerry, a native of Marblehead, was a radical who supported American independence. His family was involved in the town’s trading business, and he was a staunch Patriot.

#4

The growing wealth of the Marbleheaders and other colonists did not go unnoticed by the Crown. From three thousand miles away, Parliament enacted the Sugar Act of 1765 along with the Acts of Trade and Navigation. These and other edicts constantly frustrated Marblehead’s merchants.

#5

The Stamp Act was a tax that required printed material to be produced on stamped paper from London, and affixed with a revenue stamp. The Americans’ nonimportation and nonexportation policy and political campaign proved successful, and Parliament then passed the Townshend Acts, imposing a tax on goods imported from Britain to the colonies.

Insights from Chapter 3

#1

The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770, when four youths, Edward Archbald, William Merchant, Francis Archbald, and John Leech, went down Cornhill together. They were met by several soldiers, who pushed and struck at one another with makeshift weapons. The soldiers then charged into the streets, and the people responded by throwing snowballs at them.

#2

Church was a graduate