"Yankee Doodle Goes to Sea" with Historian Stephen Sanfilippo

When people think of the American Revolution, they often picture famous land battles like Lexington & Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown, but much of the war was also fought at sea. From the coasts of England and Nova Scotia to Maine and the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean was a vital and contested battleground.

In Yankee Doodle Goes to Sea, historian and musician Stephen Sanfilippo brings this maritime history to life through authentic songs from the era. Selections include “The Hancock,” recounting America’s first naval victory on the high seas; “The Yankee Privateer,” telling of bold captures of British merchant ships; “The Brave Town of Machias,” celebrating a Maine community’s resistance to British forces; and “The Ballad of General Woodhull,” a lyrical take on the Battle of Brooklyn.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Sanfilippo has been researching and performing historic maritime music since the 1970s. He accompanies his vocals with instruments such as…