Ships and boats

Through the first five years of the Revolutionary War, the beloved home of George Washington has managed to remain out of harm's way. But as winds sweep inland along the Potomac, British ships start to stalk upriver. From the windows of Mount Vernon, the household can see homes and plantations burn on the Maryland shore. Then, the warships turn their guns toward General Washington's home.

On the morning of May 1, 1915 Washington Post subscribers opened their morning newspapers and found a stern message from the Imperial German Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue: “Travelers intending to embark on the Atlantic voyage are reminded that a state of war exists between Germany and her allies and Great Britain and her allies... and that travelers sailing in the war zone on ships of Great Britain or her allies do so at their own risk.”

In April 1848, more than 76 enslaved people in Washington, D.C. slipped aboard The Pearl under the cover of darkness and the small schooner set sail down the Potomac. Backed by abolitionists including Daniel Drayton, the voyage promised hope but calm winds and betrayal turned it into one of the most dramatic failed escapes in American history.