THE GONDOLA PHILADELPHIA & THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN

This publication will tell readers about one of the veterans of the American Revolutionary War, namely the Continental gondola Philadelphia, which is the oldest intact warships, being currently on display in North America. It was recovered from the bottom of Lake Champlain in 1935. The ship was fifty-four foot long and armed with three cannon and eight swivel guns.

In the sixty-four years since her recovery, no one has produced any analysis of this vessel or the associated artifacts. In his work, archaeologist John Bratten details the history, construction, tools, armament, utensils, personal items, and rigging elements of this famous gunboat, taking advantage of contemporary records in order to describe the ship's artifacts... The Philadelphia is one of the oldest warships on display - a relatively small craft having only about fifty feet in length and forming one of the parts of the flotilla frustrating the first major effort of Great Britain to divide and subdue her American subjects through cutting off the New England from the southern and middle British colonies.

The Philadelphia was launched from one of the American shipyards into the Lake Champlain in 1776. Her construction was following the order of the Congress which came with the realization that all American attempts for taking Quebec and neutralization of the British Canada failed in the first year of the Revolutionary War...