Admiral George Rodney in the American Revolution

Admiral George Rodney in the American Revolution George Rodney - Early Life Career: George Brydges Rodney was born in January 1718 and was baptized the following month in London. The son of Henry and Mary Rodney, George was born into a well-connected family. A veteran of the War of the Spanish Succession, Henry Rodney had served in the army and marine corps before losing much of the familys money in the South Sea Bubble. Though sent to the Harrow School, the younger Rodney left in 1732 to accept a warrant in the Royal Navy. Posted to HMS Sunderland (60 guns), he initially served as a volunteer before becoming a midshipman. Transferring to HMS Dreadnought two years later, Rodney was mentored by Captain Henry Medley. After a spending time in Lisbon, he saw service aboard several ships and voyaged to Newfoundland to aid in protecting the British fishing fleet. George Rodney - Rising Through the Ranks: Though a capable young officer, Rodney benefited from his connection to the Duke of Chandos and was promoted to lieutenant on February 15, 1739. Serving in the Mediterranean, he sailed aboard HMS Dolphin before switching to Admiral Sir Thomas Matthews flagship, HMS Namur. With the beginning of the War of the Austrian Succession, Rodney was dispatched to attack a Spanish supply base at Ventimiglia in 1742. Successful in this endeavor, he received a promotion to post-captain and took command of HMS Plymouth (60). After escorting British merchantmen home from Lisbon, Rodney was given HMS Ludlow Castle and directed to blockade the Scottish coast during the Jacobite Rebellion. During this time, one of his midshipmen was future admiral Samuel Hood. In 1746, Rodney took over HMS Eagle (60) and patrolled the Western Approaches. During this time, he captured his first prize, a 16-gun Spanish privateer. Fresh from this triumph, he received orders to join Admiral George Ansons Western Squadron in May. Operating in the Channel and off the French coast, Eagle and took part in the capture of sixteen French ships. In May 1747, Rodney missed the First Battle of Cape Finisterre when he was away delivering a prize to Kinsale. Leaving the fleet after the victory, Anson turned command over to Admiral Edward Hawke. Sailing with Hawke, Eagle took part in the Second Battle of Cape Finisterre on October 14. During the fighting, Rodney engaged two French ships of the line. While one pulled away, he continued to engage the other until Eagle became unmanageable after its wheel was shot away. George Rodney - Peace: With the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle and the end of the war, Rodney took Eagle to Plymouth where it was decommissioned. His actions during the conflict earned him around  £15,000 in prize money and provided a degree of financial security. The following May, Rodney received an appointment as governor and commander-in-chief of Newfoundland. Sailing aboard HMS Rainbow (44), he held the temporary rank of commodore. Completing this duty in 1751, Rodney became increasingly interested in politics. Though his first bid for Parliament failed, he was elected as MP for Saltash in 1751. After purchasing an estate at Old Alresford, Rodney met and married Jane Compton, the sister of the Earl of Northampton. The couple had three children before Janes death in 1757. George Rodney - Seven Years War: In 1756, Britain formally entered the Seven Years War after a French attack on Minorca. Blame for the islands loss was placed on Admiral John Byng. Court-martialed, Byng was sentenced to death. Having escaped from serving on the court-martial, Rodney lobbied for the sentence to be commuted, but to no avail. In 1757, Rodney sailed aboard HMS Dublin (74) as part of Hawkes raid on Rochefort. The following year, he was directed to carry Major General Jeffery Amherst across the Atlantic to oversee the Siege of Louisbourg. Capturing a French East Indiaman en route, Rodney was later criticized for putting prize money ahead of his orders. Joining Admiral Edward Boscawens fleet off Louisbourg, Rodney delivered the general and operated against the city through June and July. In August, Rodney sailed in command of a small fleet that transported Louisbourgs defeated garrison into captivity in Britain. Promoted to rear admiral on May 19, 1759, he began operations against French invasion forces at Le Havre. Employing bomb vessels he attacked the French port in early July. Inflicting significant damage, Rodney struck again in August. The French invasion plans were cancelled later that year after major naval defeats at Lagos and Quiberon Bay. Detailed to blockade the French coast until 1761, Rodney was then given command of a British expedition tasked with capturing the rich island of Martinique. George Rodney - Caribbean Peace: Crossing to the Caribbean, Rodneys fleet, in conjunction with Major General Robert Moncktons ground forces, conducted a successful campaign against the island as well as captured St. Lucia and Grenada. Completing operations in the Leeward Islands, Rodney moved northwest and joined with Vice Admiral George Pococks fleet for an expedition against Cuba. Returning to Britain at the end of the war in 1763, he learned that he had been promoted to vice admiral. Made a baronet in 1764, he elected to remarry and wed Henrietta Clies later that year. Serving as the governor of Greenwich Hospital, Rodney again ran for Parliament in 1768. Though he won, the victory cost him a large part of his fortune. After three more years in London, Rodney accepted the post of commander-in-chief at Jamaica as well as the honorary office of Rear Admiral of Great Britain. Arriving on the island, he worked diligently to improve its naval facilities and the quality of the fleet. Remaining until 1774, Rodney was forced to relocate to Paris as his financial situation had collapsed a result of the 1768 election and general overspending. In 1778, a friend, Marshal Biron, fronted him the money to clear his debts. Returning to London, Rodney was able to secure back pay from his ceremonial offices to repay Biron. That same year, he was promoted to admiral. With the American Revolution already underway, Rodney was made commander-in-chief of the Leeward Islands in late 1779. Putting to sea, he encountered Admiral Don Juan de Lngara off Cape St. Vincent on January 16, 1780. George Rodney - American Revolution: In the resulting Battle of Cape St. Vincent, Rodney captured or destroyed seven Spanish ships before proceeding on to re-supply Gibraltar. Reaching the Caribbean, his fleet met a French squadron, led by the Comte de Guichen, on April 17. Engaging off Martinique, a misinterpretation of Rodneys signals led to his battle plan being poorly executed. As a result, the battle proved inconclusive though Guichen elected to call off his campaign against British holdings in the region. With hurricane season approaching, Rodney sailed north to New York. Sailing back to the Caribbean the following year, Rodney and General John Vaughan captured the Dutch island of St. Eustatius in February 1781. In the wake of the capture, the two officers were accused of lingering on the island to collect its wealth rather than continuing to pursue military objectives. Arriving back in Britain later that year, Rodney defended his actions. As he was a supporter of Lord Norths government, his conduct at St. Eustatius received Parliaments blessing. Resuming his post in the Caribbean in February 1782, Rodney moved to engage a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse two months later. After a skirmish on April 9, the two fleets met at the Battle of the Saintes on the 12th. In the course of the fighting, the British fleet managed to break through the French battle line in two places. One of the first times this tactic had been used, it resulted in Rodney capturing seven French ships of the line, including De Grasses flagship Ville de Paris (104). Though hailed as a hero, several of Rodneys subordinates, including Samuel Hood, felt that admiral did not pursue the beaten enemy with sufficient vigor. George Rodney - Later Life: Rodneys victory provided a much needed boost to British morale following key defeats at the Battles of the Chesapeake and Yorktown the year before. Sailing for Britain, he arrived in August to find that he had been elevated to Baron Rodney of Rodney Stoke and that Parliament had voted him an annual pension of  £2,000. Electing to retire from the service, Rodney also withdrew from public life. He later suddenly died on May 23, 1792 at his home on Hanover Square in London. Selected Sources George Rodney: Tactical PioneerRoyal Naval Museum: George Rodney Government House: George Rodney

Jonathan Edwards, In the Hands of an Angry God. essays

Jonathan Edwards, In the Hands of an Angry God. essays Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards was a sermon given by the Puritian minister Edwards. In this sermon Edwards uses the fear that God at anytime can punish the wicked to keep his people under control. This was a practice used by the puritians to make the people live correctly under that laws of the Bible and of the church. This essay will point out examples of this in his sermon. Edwards begins by using a simple Bible verse from Deuteronomy, chapter 32, verse 35. It says, Their foot shall slide in due time. He uses this short and simple verse to explain to his congregation that at anytime, God could decide that it was their appointed time to leave this world. Edwards concludes that this verse is referring to the punishment and destruction that the Israelites were exposed to. He thinks that because the Israelites were exposed to so much destruction that they would fall, just like a person walking across a slippery floor is always in danger of falling. He then says that no one is able to predict whether he will stand or fall, and he uses Psalm 73:18-19: Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them into destruction. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment. Up till now, the Israelites have manged not to fall because God has always been there to give them a hand, and has kept them from falling. Edwards surmises that on e day at Gods appointed time, he will no longer help them and they will be allowed to fall. He ends his sermon with the thought that, There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God. Edwards wants his people to always be warey that at anytime God can take away there lives and that they should always be ready for this. He paints God as a cruel ruler who enjoys playing with the life of his people. I think that he does this so that the people will fear...

Literary Analysis of Imagery in The Scarlet Ibis Essay

Literary Analysis of Imagery in The Scarlet Ibis - Essay Example The first scene contains a number of imagery, which readers can easily interpret through sensory experience. The visual symbolism in the bleeding tree, the silvery powder and the purple phlox are examples of imagery, which connote the fate facing different characters throughout the story. In addition, Hurst (1) uses olfactory imagery in his presentation of the flowers blooming at the graveyard, which he says produce smell that extends to the length of the cotton plantation. The author’s assertion that the plants rot brown magnolia flowers is rife with imagery of the attractiveness of the graveyard, and the existence of some temporal life. Moreover, the growths of ironweeds which compete with the attractive flowers symbolize the feeling of abandon of the dead. Apart from the existence of the plant imagery, there is auditory imagery in oriole’s beautiful melodies in the elm (Hurst 1). This symbolizes a sense of life and excitement in the story. In addition, the green-draped parlor is rich with visual imagery of attractive vegetation, fair weather, and rich soils, supporting the plants’ and animals’ lives. Doodle in itself is a name that brings out the visual imagery of the small doodle-bug that naturally walks backwards. This implies the character is one who would never tire of going the opposite direction on social issues affecting him and the immediate environment where he stays (Hurst 2). Further, Hurst’s use of a deafening thunder and mournful sound symbolizes the existence of powers, which are beyond the existence of animals and plants. The latter auditory imagery symbolizes mortal nature of living things on earth, even when they are seen as blossoming and death is seemingly not in sight. The two forms of imagery are complimented by the visual imagery in the green-draped parlor, which is by its description