Annotated Bibliography
Primary Sources:
Davis, ND One Hundred Years Ago or the Battle of Dominica. Demerara, 1882.
• This source provides a brief account of the Battle of the Saints. In February 1782, Admiral Sir George Rodney stationed his fleet in the north of St. Lucia so as to keep watch on Port Royal in Martinique. There, the French Admiral DeGrasse had collected a huge fleet comprising ships of war, a convoy of transport and store ships, along with 10,000 men. This build-up was in preparation for an attack on Jamaica, and on the morning of 8th April, Rodney was informed by British signal ships that DeGrasse was leaving Martinique.
Mair, J Eyewitness Account of the Action of 12 April. MS Jamaica Achieves, 1782.
• This source provides evidence of the occurrence of the various battles. Jamaica was primary target of the French before they were intercepted and chased down by the British fleet. This source entails the Jamaican perspective during this time of conflict. I intend to utilize this source to gain knowledge as to what it was like to live in Jamaica and know that a war was being fought over your ownership.
Southey, T A Chronological History of the West Indies. 2 vols London, 1827.
• This source provided information regarding the possession of various colonies by the super powers of the century. For a brief period in 1778, the French held possession of Guadeloupe, Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia. These four islands set up a direct line between the two large groups of colonies to the north and south, were vulnerable, to France. I intend to utilize this source to gather information as to which colonies were in possession of which colonies and how these colonies provided advantages to each group during the Battle of the Saints.
Primary Source Image: Drawing of the Battle of the Saints
This drawing provides great insight into the way the ships were organized during combat.
Primary Source Image: Drawing representing the "Crossing the T" strategy used by Admiral Rodney
This representation will allow me to show the audience what exactly I'm talking about when I am describing the "Crossing the T" battle tactic.
Secondary Sources:
Black, C. V. (1953). The Archives of Jamaica. Caribbean Quarterly, 3(3), 130–135.
• Secondary Source. This source provides information on Jamaica during the Battle of the Saints. It was one of the few remaining colonies which Britain had control of when Admiral Rodney arrived in the Caribbean with his fleet of thirty-six ships of the line. I intend to use this source to take a look at life in the colony before and after the French invasion. The source stated that a statue was erected in honour of Admiral Rodney after the British victory. This indicates that the people were pleased that the British won and thus means they preferred to be a British colony than a French colony. A look will also be taken at what could of possibly happened to Jamaica had the British lost the battle.
Bruce, A., & Cogar, W. (2014). Encyclopedia of Naval History. Routledge.
• This source will provide information regarding the admirals involved in the war and definitions of the various naval terms. The Battle of the Saints was part of a collection of wars which occurred due to the American War of Independence. This source will provide overviews of the other wars associated with the American war of Independence. The source will be used to educate the audience on the wars which resulted in the Battle of the Saints.
Jaques, T. (2007). Dictionary of Battles and Sieges: A-E. Greenwood Publishing Group.
• Secondary Source. Map cited is a primary source. This source gives a detailed overviews of the various wars leading up to the Battle of the Saints as well as provide a bibliography on key players in each of the wars. This source includes information on; The Battle of Yorktown, Siege of Brimstone, Admiral De Grasse, The Battle for St. Kitts, Battle of Frigate’s Bay, Admiral Hood, and Admiral Rodney. I will use this source to give the target audience a detailed background on the origin of the Battle of the Saints. The source will also educate the audience about the American War of Independence which the Battle of the Saints was a part of. The map provided by the source will be very useful in creating a visual representation of the attack formations utilized by the various fleets. It will also allow me to show the audience what the “Crossing the T” tactic employed by Admiral Rodney looked like.
Mahan, A. T. (1960). The Influence Of Sea Power Upon History 1660-1783. NuVision Publications, LLC.
• Secondary Source. This source provides information on the various aspects of the importance of naval crafts. Advantages of naval transport over land transport. Types of vessels utilized during the 18th century period for transportation and combat. Information pertaining to policies such as the policies of Warpole and Fleuri. Course of events from peace of Paris to 1778. The influence of the Maritime war in North America and West Indies on the American Revolution. I intend to use this source to describe the reasoning behind the various treaties which governed the nations during that time period.
Mahan, A. T. (2007). The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660 - 1783. Cosimo, Inc.
• Primary Source map. Revised and republished edition of the 1960 version. Includes updated details and maps.
McCollough, M. (2004). Three Nations, One Place. Routledge.One hundred years ago: or The Battle of Dominica. (1882, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/60231018
• Secondary Source. This source contains detailed information about the proceedings of the Battle of the Saints. In this source, the perspective was focused on the Spanish. The war is primarily between the British and the French but the Spanish are often overlooked. I will use this source to look at the war from the Spanish fleet’s point of view. Details will be listed as to how they contributed to the French loss.
Willis, S. (2008). Fighting at Sea in the Eighteenth Century: The Art of Sailing Warfare. Boydell Press.
• Primarily Secondary Source. Contains Primary Source maps and illustrations. This source identifies and thoroughly explains the tactics used in battles in the 18th century. According to the source fleet position varied greatly between admirals and location at which the battles occurred. I intended to use this source to describe the various tactics utilized in the Battle of the Saints and go on depth behind the positioning of the fleet. The source stated that number advantages won battles. The British had more ships of the line so an investigation will be done to see if this contributed to the success of the British.
Winfield, R. (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714-1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing.
• This source contains information on the war vessels which the British used during the 1714-1972 period. The source classifies ships based on the number of guns they wielded as well as structural configuration (variations in masts). I intended to use this source to give in-depth information about the ships used during the war. This is where game developers will get the fine details to be able to accurately code and design the ships in the games they create. Authors writing books about the 18th century will be able to paint images of the ships they are discussing more clearly in the minds of the readers by utilizing the project.