The destruction of the American fleet at Penobscot Bay, 14 August 1779.

The destruction of the American fleet at Penobscot Bay, 14 August 1779. © National Maritime Museum, London

Repro ID: BHC0425

Description: By the end of the Seven Years War in 1763, Britain had established herself as the dominant European power in North America, having driven the French from Canada and from the colonies on the eastern seaboard. But it had been a costly war for Britain, and the British government attempted to tax the American colonies in order to provide funds for their defence. The policy was extremely unpopular in America, and though many Americans viewed themselves as British, the resistance to the new taxes led to war and eventually the Treaty of Versailles in 1783, when Britain finally recognised an independent American state. This scene depicts one of the few British victories during the war.

Creator: Dominic Serres the Elder

Date: c.1779