When America attacked mainland England during the Revolutionary War

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]You probably didn't know this, but during the Revolutionary War, American forces actually attacked mainland England. The American naval officer who led the attack was John Paul Jones, and he's also known as the father of the US Navy. In 1778, he decided to take the Revolutionary War directly to British soil. His target was the port of Whitehaven, which was a major shipping hub on England's west coast. In the middle of the night, Jones and a small group of sailors quietly rowed ashore, and their plan was bold. Their plan was to set ships on fire in the harbor, cause people in Britain to panic, and realize that Britain itself wasn't safe.

[00:00:32]Some of the sailors hesitated, and the fires didn't spread the way they expected. Just as the flames began to catch, people in the town started to wake up. Jones tried to push the attack further, even attempting to spike the town's cannons, but time was running out. They ultimately retreated back to the ships and escaped into the night, but the damage was limited. Only one ship seriously burned, but the psychological impact was massive. For the first time in the war, American forces had struck the British homeland.

[00:00:57]This caused shock and panic in Britain, because people realized they weren't safe from the American Revolution. John Paul Jones didn't destroy Whitehaven, but he did send a message that even the British Isles weren't out of reach. As you know, the Americans eventually won the war and their independence, and that was one of the last times that foreign hostile troops ever stepped foot in England.