In the summer of 1785, a group of Irish migrants took to the Atlantic to escape the abuse and persecution of the ruling classes at home. They sought a new life in the United States, a place “where the banner of freedom waved proudly” and “every good was possessed.” Their ship, the Faithful Steward, was new and sturdy, and its captain had a good reputation. On this voyage, however, the ship was overloaded with migrant families and a massive cargo of counterfeit coins. By the first of September, the ship was lost somewhere off the mid-Atlantic coast. With night coming on and the weather deteriorating, the crew sailed into the darkness toward Delaware’s notorious False Cape. Michael Timothy Dougherty tells the story of the wreck and its aftermath.
Michael Timothy Dougherty is an attorney with more than twenty-five years of experience in the executive and legislative branches of the federal government. He most recently served as an assistant secretary for Border, Immigration and Trade Policy and as ombudsman for Citizenship and Immigration Services at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is a shipwreck diver. His home surf break is Indian River Inlet, Delaware.