NC SAR President Jay Deloach made a timely presentation on March 23 at Governors Club in Chapel Hill, on the events leading up to, and then the June 9, 1772, “Gaspee Affair,” an incident off the coast of Rhode Island that inflamed tensions between Great Britain and her colonial subjects in America, and ultimately united the colonies against British policies.

The incident in the shoal waters of Narraganset Bay was the destruction of the grounded HMS Gaspee by Rhode Island citizens.  The “seditious” act against King George III precipitated several punitive actions by Great Britain and an equal number of reactions from her American subjects, compounding an already strained relationship.  Its aftermath was significant, fanning the smoldering embers of rebellion and uniting the colonies in unexpected ways.

Prior to the presentation, President DeLoach attended a “Meet and Greet” with members of the General Francis Nash Chapter, primarily discussing preparations for the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and the 2026 SAR National Congress in North Carolina.  He was obviously persuasive, as two GFN members “enlisted” in the Company of North Carolina Minutemen (a contribution of $1,000 to help fund the 2026 National Congress) on the spot, making the Chapter total at least 3.

The event was organized by GFN member and Governors Club resident Lowell Hoffman.