Appeal To Heaven

            The​ ​year​ ​was​ ​1775​ ​and​ ​our​ ​country​ ​was​ ​just​ ​about​ ​to​ ​face​ ​their​ ​greatest​ ​battle on​ ​American​ ​soil. It was the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​the​ ​American​ ​Revolution.​ ​At​ ​that​ ​time​, ​the British​ ​(the​ ​most​ ​powerful​ ​military​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world)​, ​were ​occupying​ ​Boston​ ​and​ ​problems in​ ​the​ ​colonies​ ​were​ ​rising.​ ​George​ ​Washington​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​intercept​ ​incoming​ ​British ships​ ​with​ ​supplies,​ ​however​ ​the​ ​popular​ ​vote​ ​in​ ​Philadelphia​ ​disagreed​ ​with​ ​anything to​ ​do​ ​with​ ​upsetting​ ​the​ ​king,​ ​especially​ ​after​ ​the​ ​Boston​ ​Tea​ ​Party.​ ​Our​ ​General decided​ ​to​ ​take​ ​it​ ​upon​ ​himself​,  behind​ ​closed​ ​doors,​ ​to​ ​commission​ ​six privately​ ​owned schooners​ ​and​ ​start​ ​his​ ​own​ ​navy ​(rumored​ ​to​ ​have been done at his own​ ​expense.)​ It​ ​was​ ​to​ ​be called​ ​"​Washington's​ ​Secret​ ​Navy"​​ ​and​ ​all​ ​boats​ ​were​ ​to​ ​have​ ​"​An​ ​Appeal​ ​to​ ​Heaven" flag ​upon​ ​them.​ ​Also​ ​known​ ​as​ ​​"​Washington’s​ ​cruiser​ ​flag"​,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​a white​ ​flag​ ​with an​ ​evergreen​ ​tree​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​with ​the​ ​words​ ​“​An​ ​Appeal​ ​to​ ​Heaven​"​ ​stitched​ ​across.
​ ​         Just​ ​a​ ​few​ ​months​ ​after​ ​the​ ​first​ ​voyage,​ ​a​ ​British​ ​Brigantine​ ​named​ ​the "Nancy"​ ​was​ ​captured​ ​by​ ​one​ ​of​ ​our​ ​schooners​ ​the​ ​"Lee".​ ​On​ ​board​ ​were​ ​muskets,​ ​flint, gun​ ​powder,​ ​and​ ​other​ ​supplies​ ​in​ ​abundance.​ ​The​ ​prize​ ​was​ ​so​ ​great​ that ​it​ ​was​ ​said our​ ​country​ ​would​ ​have​ ​taken​ ​well​ ​over​ ​a​ ​year​ ​to​ ​produce these items.​ ​Not​ ​only​ ​was​ ​this​ ​the greatest​ ​capture​ ​of​ ​the​ ​entire​ ​Revolution,​ ​it​ ​also​ ​inspired​ ​all​ ​the​ ​founding​ ​fathers​ ​and the​ ​birth​ ​of​ ​our​ ​country's​ ​United​ ​States​ ​Navy​ ​as​ ​we​ ​know​ ​it​ ​today.​ ​The​ ​original schooners​ ​bearing​ ​the​ ​"​Appeal​ ​to​ ​Heaven"​​ ​flags​ ​continued​ ​capturing​ ​British​ ​ships​ ​and performing​ ​special​ ​services​ ​for​ ​the​ ​remainder​ ​of​ ​the​ ​war​ ​as​ ​our​ ​new​ ​Navy​ ​was​ ​being formed.​ ​In​ ​April​ ​1776,​ ​The​ ​state​ ​of​ ​Massachusetts​ ​adopted​ ​this​ ​flag​ ​for​ ​its​ ​own​ ​navy.​ ​It's resolution​ ​for​ ​operations ...​ ​"Resolved,​ ​that​ ​the​ ​uniform​ ​of​ ​the​ ​officers​ ​be​ ​green​ ​and white,​ ​and​ ​that​ ​the​ ​colors​ ​be​ ​a​ ​white​ ​flag,​ ​with​ ​a​ ​green​ ​pine​ ​tree,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​inscription, '​An​ ​Appeal​ ​to​ ​Heaven​.'"​ ​The​ ​Massachusetts​ ​Navy​ ​sailed​ ​twenty-five ​ships​ ​during​ ​the​ ​war​ ​to defend​ ​the​ ​coast​ ​from​ ​the​ ​British​ ​and​ ​then​ ​eventually​ ​absorbed​ ​into​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States Navy.

         The​​ pine ​​tree​​ had ​​long​​ been ​​a ​​New ​​England​​ symbol ​​being​​ depicted ​​on​​ the ​F​​lag​​ of​​ New England,​​ ​flown​ ​by​ ​colonial​ ​merchant
ships​ ​dating​ ​back​ ​to​ ​1686.​ ​Leading​ ​up to​ ​the​ ​Revolutionary​ ​War,​ ​it​ ​became​ ​a symbol​ ​​of​ ​Colonial​ ​ire​ ​and​ ​resistance. 

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