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The earliest US flag, called "Grand Union" |
On 16 November 1776, the American ship Andrew Doria appeared in the harbour of the tiny Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the West Indies.
It flew a flag of 13 red and white stripes at its masthead - representing the 13 States which had declared their independence from Great Britain four months earlier.
Under orders from the island's Governor Johannes de Graaff, Fort Oranje fired the official cannon salute customary to ships of friendly nations.
American historians mark the famous "first salute" as the beginning of international recognition of the new nation. The incident certainly caused the already strained relations between the Dutch and the English to deteriorate. But the issue was not as clear cut at the time as some history books make it seem.
As early as November 1774, New York's lieutenant governor Cadwallader Colden wrote to the secretary of the colonies:
| "The contraband trade carried on between this place and Holland is, my lord, an object I must behold with great concern. It prevails to an enormous degree, must destroy the morals of the people, create the most inveterate enemies to government, nourish the spirit of mobbing, and abolish all fair trade." |
Smuggling
St. Eustatius was a particularly sharp thorn in the side of the British. The so-called "Golden Rock" was the centre of the Dutch shipping trade with North America - molasses, sugar, timber, tobacco, horses and slaves were all valuable commodities. But the smuggling of Dutch gunpowder was England's gravest concern. The most important supplier of munitions to the American insurgents were the Dutch, and St. Eustatius was crucial to the clandestine operations.
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Fort Oranje at St-Eustatius
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In May 1776 the commander of Fort Oranje, Abraham Ravené, prevented a British ship from seizing an American vessel just off the shore of St. Eustatius. The English Admiral James Young protested bitterly:
| "The very pernicious traffic carried on between his Brittanic Majesty's rebellious subjects from North America and the inhabitants of St. Eustatia for gunpowder and warlike stores has been so general and done in such a public manner as to be no secret to any person in the West Indies islands." |
From 13 to 11 shots
Perhaps this explains why six months later Commander Ravené was reluctant to return the thirteen gun salute given by the Andrew Doria in the harbour of St. Eustatius. He turned to Governor de Graaff to obtain instructions. The prompt reply said, "Fire a return salute with two guns less than for a national salute." The cannons at Fort Oranje carried out the order, firing 11 "honour shots."
Johannes de Graaff was clearly sympathetic to the Americans but knew he was in a precarious position. By authorising a return salute with two guns less than the national salute, he could please the Americans with an honour rendered. At the same time, he could defend his action as a courtesy salute offered any friendly merchant ship but not acknowledging American independence.
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Ships off St. Eustatius |
The English were not persuaded and carried the matter to the highest level. The government in London demanded disavowal of the salute and de Graaff's recall. The Dutch government responded with indignation, complaining of the "threatening tone… at such variance with what was required between sovereign and independent powers." However, Governor de Graaff was sent for to explain his actions.
English retribution
Over a year and a half later, de Graaff finally arrived back in Holland to face accusations concerning the smuggling traffic and the salute to the American flag. He produced a defense, the so-called "Deduction," of over 200 pages, plus more than 700 pages of supporting evidence. The West India Company administrators and the government agreed he was innocent of all charges and he was allowed to return to his island where continued to serve as governor until February 1781 when retribution finally came. An English fleet of 15 warships sailed into the harbour and took the island by force.
France officially recognised the United States in 1778, and Holland followed suit in April 1781 with the efforts of John Adams. But Americans have long accepted the importance of the salute to its flag on St. Eustatius. In 1939, President Roosevelt came to the island's harbour with a commemorative plaque. And in 1991, President George Bush issued a proclamation designating November 16 Dutch-American Heritage Day.