How ‘The Peacemaker’ Tragedy Altered American History
The Story of Love, Death, and Politics Aboard the USS Princeton
It was a Wednesday, February 28th, 1844. The weather was unexpectedly warm, what one guest later called “almost a summer sky.” Dignitaries from all over Washington had gathered for a pleasant, peaceful cruise down the Potomac.
Most considered the trip a brief distraction from official duties, a bit of pomp to celebrate America’s growing military might.
Yet, when the ship returned a few hours later, some passengers would be dead, others would be in love, and the course of United States history would be forever changed.
The Ship
Ever since she had arrived two weeks earlier, the Princeton had been the talk of the town. She was a steam-powered frigate that could cruise at 7 knots, and she carried two 12-inch guns, each capable of firing a 225-pound cannonball up to five miles.
She was the brainchild of two men: Swedish-American inventor John Ericsson and US Navy Commodore Robert F. Stockton.
