America’s First Amphibious Raid Targeted Britain’s Gunpowder — Nassau, 1776

In March 1776, the Continental Army was desperately short of gunpowder. To secure the military supplies needed to continue the American Revolution, a newly formed naval force sailed for the British-held island of New Providence in the Bahamas. Led by Commodore Esek Hopkins, the Continental fleet carried Marines under Captain Samuel Nicholas toward Nassau, where Britain had stored gunpowder, cannons, mortars, and other valuable weapons. Their mission would become America’s first major amphibious operation—but the element of surprise was lost before the landing began. This historical documentary reconstructs the Nassau Raid of 1776 and explains how American sailors and Continental Marines captured Fort Montagu, occupied Nassau, and seized a large collection of British military supplies. It also reveals how Governor Montfort Browne used the Americans’ delay to move much of the gunpowder out of their reach. Discover how the Continental Navy planned the expedition, why the original landing attempt failed, and how Samuel Nicholas led his Marines ashore without suffering heavy casualties. Although the raiders failed to capture most of the powder they wanted, they returned with cannons, mortars, ammunition, and other equipment urgently needed by the Revolutionary cause. The Raid on Nassau was both a success and a warning. Getting troops ashore was not enough—the attackers also had to secure their objective before the enemy could react. That lesson would follow American commanders through later amphibious operations. Subscribe to *The Decisive Ground* for more forgotten battles, naval operations, military strategies, and decisive turning points from the American Revolutionary War. #AmericanRevolution #NassauRaid #NavalHistory