programs on one of their three sailing research vessels: Westward, Corwith Cramer, and Robert C. Seamans. (www.sea.edu) … In October the USS Constitution Museum announced the acquisition of a collection of significant correspondence related to the early career of “Old Ironsides.” Comprising over 150 individual documents, the collection, which had been in private hands for over 225 years, covers topics such as the construction of the first six frigates of the US Navy, strategic plans in the Caribbean, and secret signals used between the US Navy and friendly British ships. “I have been looking for collections for this museum for over 30 years and have never seen anything like it,” said museum president Anne Grimes Rand. “The USS Constitution Museum is actively pursuing its mission in tough times by acquiring these documents that shed light on previously unknown aspects of the construction, outfitting, and first movements of USS Constitution.” The collection, which was unveiled at the virtual celebration of the ship’s 223rd birthday on 21 October, had belonged to Capt. James Sever, first commander of USS Congress, another frigate constructed in the 1790s for the fledgling US Navy. Included are correspondence and documents from notable figures such as: Henry Knox, George Washington’s secretary of war, who oversaw appropriations for Constitution and the other frigates; Timothy Pickering, Knox’s successor; Benjamin Stoddert, secretary of the navy during the Quasi War; Toussaint Louverture, the formerly enslaved leader of the early Haitian revolution; Dr. Edward Stevens, US consul-general in St. Domingue; Captains Edward Preble, Silas Talbot, and Thomas Truxtun. The USS Constitution Museum plans to share documents from the collection via its email newsletter and social media, as well as including them in its digital collection and on its website. The museum temporarily closed in December until further notice because of the pandemic, but its staff is actively creating content via its social media channels and through its website. Online content includes programs, activities, videos, and blog posts. (USS Constitution Museum, Boston, MA; Ph. 617 426-1812; https://ussconsti tutionmuseum.org)
A Threatened Gift from the Sea
Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina North of historic Charleston Harbor in South Carolina lies Sullivan’s Island, a barrier island and a town with a problem that most barrier island communities would love to have. Thanks to harbor jetties that impede the southern flow of sand along the coastline, Sullivan’s Island is accreting land instead of eroding. The problem—to the 8% of residents who own beachfront property on the island—is that their ocean view is threatened. The current 190 acres of accreted land supports a thriving maritime ecosystem of dune grasses, flowers, shrubs, wetlands, and a maritime forest. This incredible gift from the sea is much loved by many island residents and visitors for its beauty and its wealth of birds and wildlife that includes nesting sea turtles and coastal martens. The great diversity of maritime habitats and vegetation makes this an ideal stopover for Monarch butterflies and for many thousands of migrating birds to rest and renourish as they make their round-trip journey between their seasonal northern homes and the tropics. The Sullivan’s Island Bird Banding and Research Station logs and reports the numerous species passing through. Boardwalks and established pathways through this vibrant and scenic landscape provide ready access to the beach. In 1991, not long after Hurricane Hugo, the Town of Sullivan’s Island put the accreting land into a public trust, to be preserved in its natural state for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations of islanders and South Carolinians. This accreted land and its successional maritime forest also provide critical protection from the primary threat to Sullivan’s Island and its residents—hurricane storm surge and rising sea levels. It is a source of incomparable resilience in the face of climate change. Now this land is under threat. In September 2020, the Sullivan’s Island Town Council voted, by the narrowest of margins, to settle a lawsuit brought by beachfront property owners to mandate cutting down thousands of trees and shrubs to preserve their ocean views. This settlement heavily favors the beachfront few against the wishes of the many. It will destroy the vibrant maritime ecosystem and will significantly degrade the island’s hurricane storm surge protection. Sullivan’s Island residents have organized to contest this planned deforestation. Your signature on the “STOP THE CHOP” petition at change.org/StoptheChopSaveOurSIForest will help. This petition is directed to the Chief of the South Carolina State agencies that must provide permits for this action. To learn more about this issue visit the Sullivan’s Island For All Facebook page: Facebook.com/ SI4All. We are committed to preserving Sullivan’s Island for the benefit of all to enjoy, for our wildlife partners, and our public safety. Please join us by helping to “STOP THE CHOP”! —Susan Middaugh
SEA HISTORY 174, SPRING 2021 55