Andrew Duppstadt has a BA and MA in history from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He is the Assistant Curator of Education for the North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor of History at Coastal Carolina Community College and Craven Community College. He resides in Jacksonville.
Andrew Duppstadt
North Carolina Division of State Historic Sites
Otway Burns (1775 – 1850)
At an early age, Otway Burns had the sea in his veins. He later became a daring privateer during the War of 1812—one of the more famous American privateers in the nation's history. As a state legislator during the 1820s and 1830s his opinions regarding the status of African Americans and the development of western North Carolina upset his constituents.
Johnston Blakely (1781-1814)
Although the most successful American naval officer of the War of 1812 and commander of the feared Wasp, Blakely never enjoyed the fame that he had for so long desired. It was posthumous.
United States Navy (Civil War activity)
The United States Navy’s activities off the North Carolina coast undoubtedly influenced the outcome of the Civil War. Even though many Tar Heels never saw a Union sailor or ship up close, the US Navy affected daily life in North Carolina because its blockade controlled nearly two-thirds of the coast. The threat of a naval bombardment was ever-present, too. During the latter stages of the war, the US Navy played an important role in the Old North State that hastened the end of war.