Annapolis Charter 300 1708-2008

—Commemorating the 1708 Royal Charter under Queen Anne to the City of Annapolis —

Annapolis' Sister City of Wexford, Ireland, was the boyhood home of John Barry, naval hero of the American Revolution. Barry went to sea as a young boy and advanced to be master of his own vessel. he settled in America and in 1776 joined the fledgling Continental Navy.

In 1778 Barry led a small boat flotilla capturing two British transports laden with supplies, and an armored schooner. General Washington wrote from Valley Forge to congratulate Barry "on the success which crowned your gallantry & address in the late attack on the enemy's ships."

Barry commanded the continental frigate Alliance, was wounded in battle and in 1783 fought HMS Sybil in the last battle of the Revolutionary War. From 1797, Commodore Barry commanded the American squadron deployed to the West Indies. He came ashore at the Washington Navy Yard in 1801.

Commodore Barry was an exceptional seaman and ship handler known for his courage, integrity, and devotion to his adopted nation. He once wrote that America was "the best country for a man to live in under the sun."

The USS Barry DDG 52, an Arleigh Burke class guided missle destroyer commissioned in 1992, is the fourth ship to bear the name of the illustrious Revolutionary War naval hero.

[Aside:]

Annapolis Sister



Cities, 2008

Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, 1980
Newport, Wales, 1982
Dumfries, Scotland, 1992
Jinhae, South Korea, 1993
Wexford, Ireland, 1993
Karlskrona, Sweden, 1994
Marsala, Italy, 2000
Tallin, Estonia, 2002
Kronstadt, Russia, 2003
Banjul, The Gambia, 2004
Rochefort, France, 2007
Richmond, England, 2007
Nitcrois, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2008


This post World War II program channeled charitable American responses of food and supplies to the unparalleled devastation in European cities. Often matched for historical or cultural links, today's worldwide Sister City Program hosts municipal governance workshops and cultural visits.

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