Free Republic

British satellite historians claim to have discovered the true location of an iconic American revolutionary ship which defeated the Royal Navy off the Yorkshire coast. The famous vessel, the USS Bonhomme Richard, was the first US ship to beat the Royal Navy in British waters before she sank on September 24, 1779. The location of the wreck has long been a mystery, but now a British satellite historian from Harrogate claims to have found it. Tim Akers, 60, used pioneering satellite radar techniques alongside British satellite firm Merlin Burrows to track down the buried vessel.

We celebrate the red, white, and blue today, because it’s July 4, Independence Day. If you haven’t noticed, flags are a big deal in the media lately. Unless you’ve hidden your head in a bag, or lived under a rock, you couldn’t help but see story after story about flags. Our flag’s design goes back a long way: on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress passed the Flag Resolution, which described the American flag as “thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Later, Congress acted...

July 18, 1792 is the date of John Paul Jones' death in France, following his service to the United States during the Revolutionary War (along with brief service to Russia afterward). During the Revolutionary War, he commanded Ranger in the defeat of HMS Drake, then later commanded Bonhomme Richard in the battle with HMS Serapis. Although Jones captured Serapis, the Richard sank following the battle, and Jones sailed the Serapis to Holland. To help Jones avoid charges of piracy, the "Serapis Flag" was entered into Dutch records as the flag he flew when he captured the ship, and it became...

Archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a complex in Tuscany they believe was once a bustling staging post on a major trade route mentioned by the ancient Roman writer Pliny. The building, which runs parallel to the River Ombrone in the Maremma Natural Park, was probably built in around 200 AD and functioned for at least a couple of centuries. The size and layout of the building, as well as its location next to a river and a major Roman road, has led archaeologists to conclude they have probably discovered a well-known 'mansio', or staging post. Pliny and another Roman...