On This Date June 9,1772- First naval attack of the Revolutionary War

June 9, 1772 – the first naval attack of the Revolutionary War takes place in Providence, Rhode
Island. The H.M.S. Gaspee had run aground in Narragansett Bay. Approximately sixty armed
men from Providence set out in eight longboats. Disguised in black-smeared faces or Indian
headdresses, they set fire to the British ship. Some historians feel this was the first “shot” of the
Revolution, pre-dating Concord and Lexington.