Chestertown in Kent County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The 1768 Schooner Sultana
The schooner Sultana is a reproduction of a Boston-built merchant vessel purchased by the Royal Navy and used to enforce the hated "Tea Taxes" from 1768 to 1772. During Sultana's four year tour of duty, over 100 men from three continents served on the schooner's 25-person crew while patrolling the Chesapeake, Delaware, and Narragansett Bays in search of smuggled goods.
A Ship & Its Times
Life on Sultana was difficult and dangerous. In addition to the elements, the schooner's crew had to contend with the ire of rebellious colonists while searching their vessels for contraband. Injustice abounded in Sultana's world, particularly within an economic system that was largely built on slave labor. Still, the revolution that took shape during Sultana's time of service helped propel the ongoing struggle to achieve the true promise of the nation's founding ideals.
Vessel Specifications
Sparred Length - 97'
LOA - 59' (Length Overall)
LOD - 52' (Length on Deck)
LWL - 51'3" (Length Waterline)
Draft - 8'
Beam - 16'8"
Height of Rig - 67'
Weight - 68.05 Long Tons
Sail Area - 1,830 Sq Ft
Power - 225 HP Diesel
Capacity- 40 Persons
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Bunks - 16
Framing - Osage Orange
Planking - White Oak
Decking - Douglass Fir
Knees - Hackmatack
Fastenings - Bronze/Osage
Masts & Spars - Douglass Fir
Builder - Swain Boatbuilders, LLC
[Captions:]
Shortly after Sultana's launch in Boston, the schooner sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to Deptford, England, where Royal Navy shipwrights recorded the schooner's hull design and interior layout in June of 1768. The resulting drawing make Sultana a rare example of documented American shipbuilding from the colonial period, as such the vessel's modern reproduction is among the most accurate in the world.
Lieutenant John Inglis served as commander of Sultana during the schooner's tour of duty in the mid-Atlantic. The American-born son of a Philadelphia merchant and slave owner, he oversaw a crew reflective of the multicultural diversity of the 18th century Royal Navy, with sailors hailing from Europe, North America, Bermuda and Africa. the Inglis family, like many, would be divided by the coming of the American Revolution.
In Sultana's era, up to 15% of American vessels' crews were composed of free or enslaved men of African descent. While complete demographic information for Sultana's crew was not recorded, at least one crew member, Prince Gould, was a free African American born in Rhode Island. After working on the ship for eight months, his time aboard Sultana ended when he was discharged in Virginia.
For
Erected by Sultana Education Foundation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Colonial Era • Law Enforcement • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1768.
Location. 39° 12.344′ N, 76° 3.786′ W. Marker is in Chestertown, Maryland, in Kent County. It is on Cannon Street east of High Street, in the median. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 98 Cannon St, Chestertown MD 21620, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, in the Chesapeake Bay Region, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sultana Education Foundation (here, next to this marker); Elsworth (a few steps from this marker); Scott's Point (a few steps from this marker); Tomorrow's Chesapeake Bay (a few steps from this marker); Steamboats on the Chester River (within shouting distance of this marker); Annie D (within shouting distance of this marker); Gilbert Byron (within shouting distance of this marker); Stanley Vansant (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chestertown.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 19, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 172 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
