Description The United States of America declared independence in 1776 because the British government insisted on its control over lands and seas in this part of the world. A lot has been written about British sovereignty over western lands and the frontier origins of the American Revolution. Comparatively little is known about British efforts to manage American's use of the Atlantic Ocean. The British government considered Americans who violated the sovereignty of the seas to be pirates. And the British navy dealt harshly with pirates. About the Speaker Dr. Chris Magra is a Professor of Early American history at the University of Tennessee. His prize-winning research has explored the maritime dimensions of the American Revolution. Cambridge University Press published his first two books. The Fisherman’s Cause examines the New England codfisheries and the transatlantic business rivalries and resource competition among fish merchants that helped bring about the imperial crisis. Poseidon’s Curse explains why the British appropriation of private property and free labor contributed to the origins of the Revolution.