Resources
Access the Published Volumes of Naval Documents of the American Revolution
Researchers, educators, and enthusiasts can explore the first thirteen volumes of the Naval Documents of the American Revolution—now freely available as searchable PDFs through the Naval History and Heritage Command.
These volumes capture the day-to-day realities of the Revolution at sea: ship logs, intelligence reports, diplomatic correspondence, and firsthand accounts that trace the global dimensions of the war from 1774 to 1778. Together, they form the foundational documentary record of the naval and maritime history of the American Revolution.
Browse or download the volumes here:
Naval Documents of the American Revolution (Volumes 1–13)
Warship Captures and Losses, 1775–1783
NDAR editors are developing a searchable Google Sheet that tracks British, American, French, Spanish, and Dutch ships captured or lost during the American Revolutionary War. This dataset draws primarily from William Laird Clowes’s The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present (vol. 4, pp. 109–16) and has been supplemented by resources on Three Decks. It will expand as additional archival and printed sources are incorporated.
The database will enable users to view, filter, and compare maritime engagements across all major belligerents, providing a comprehensive reference for researchers studying naval warfare, logistics, and the international scope of the conflict. Each entry includes, where available, the vessel’s name, nationality, type, tonnage, commander, date and location of capture or loss, and the circumstances surrounding the event.
Once complete, this resource will serve as a living complement to the Naval Documents of the American Revolution, helping visualize the shifting balance of power at sea between 1775 and 1783.
Continental navy ships, 1775–1783
NDAR editors are developing a searchable Google Sheet that tracks all Continental navy ships during the American Revolution. This dataset aims to include each ship that served. Once complete, this resource will serve as a living complement to the Naval Documents of the American Revolution.
Continental navy officers, 1775–1783
NDAR editors are developing a searchable Google Sheet that tracks all Continental navy officers during the American Revolution. This dataset aims to include each officer who served. Once complete, this resource will serve as a living complement to the Naval Documents of the American Revolution.