"Yankee Doodle Goes To Sea" With Historian Stephen Sanfilippo
When people think of the American Revolution, they often picture famous land battles like Lexington & Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown, but much of the war was also fought at sea. From the coasts of England and Nova Scotia to Maine and the Caribbean, the Atlantic Ocean was a vital and contested battleground.
In Yankee Doodle Goes to Sea, historian and musician Stephen Sanfilippo brings this maritime history to life through authentic songs from the era. Selections include “The Hancock,” recounting America’s first naval victory on the high seas; “The Yankee Privateer,” telling of bold captures of British merchant ships; “The Brave Town of Machias,” celebrating a Maine community’s resistance to British forces; and “The Ballad of General Woodhull,” a lyrical take on the Battle of Brooklyn.
A U.S. Navy veteran, Sanfilippo has been researching and performing historic maritime music since the 1970s. He accompanies his vocals with instruments such as guitar and mandola, often inviting audiences to join in the singing. He has performed widely at historic and cultural venues from Long Island to Maritime Canada.
Sanfilippo holds a Ph.D. in History from Stony Brook University and is a retired Assistant Professor of Maritime History at Maine Maritime Academy, where he taught through the lens of traditional sea songs. A co-founder of the Long Island Traditional Music Association, he continues to explore and share the rich musical traditions of coastal communities. He and his wife Susan divide their time between Long Island’s North Fork and Downeast Maine.
