(Note: Decatur did not own slaves). Another enjoyable facet of the Open House was meeting descendants of African American families who worked and lived at the Decatur House or nearby.

What is Stephen Decatur famous for?

Stephen Decatur is best known for the 16 February 1804 action in Tripoli when, as a lieutenant, he and 75 Sailors set the captured frigate Philadelphia on fire during a daring raid on Tripoli harbor.

Was Stephen Decatur a Freemason?

On October 12, 1799, he was inducted as a Mason in St. John's Lodge #1 in Newport, Rhode Island. In 1800, Decatur commissioned Philadelphia, the very vessel that his son later burned several months after it ran aground and was captured near Tripoli harbor in 1803.

Who is Decatur named after?

Decatur was named in honor of Stephen Decatur, a popular early-American naval hero. Stephen Decatur was born in 1779 in Maryland and was raised in Philadelphia. At the age of 19 he joined the newly formed U.S. Navy, and rose rapidly in rank.

Is Decatur considered Atlanta?

Decatur is a city in, and the county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, which is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. With a population of 24,928 in the 2020 census, the municipality is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple ZIP Codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear Decatur as the address.

A look INSIDE of an African Slaves House in South Carolina

Where is the original Decatur?

Decatur, city, seat (1829) of Macon county, central Illinois, U.S. It lies along a bend in the Sangamon River (there dammed to form Lake Decatur), about halfway between Springfield and Champaign. First settled in 1820, the town was founded in 1829 and was named for the American naval hero Stephen Decatur.

Why did Stephen Decatur become a hero?

In this and other engagements during the First and Second Barbary Wars, the Quasi-War with France, and the War of 1812, Commodore Stephen Decatur fought with daring and courage, capturing the imagination of the American public and becoming a national hero.

What is Stephen Decatur's most famous quote?

Replying to a toast after returning from successful engagements abroad (1815), he replied with the famous words: “Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.”

Who killed Stephen Decatur in a duel?

That life, however, came to an abrupt and unexpected end on March 22, 1820, when Decatur died of a gunshot wound received in a duel with fellow naval officer James Barron. The duel was the deadly culmination of a long-standing feud between the two men.

Who destroyed the USS Philadelphia?

The USS Philadelphia was commissioned into the U.S. Navy on April 5, 1800, and destroyed just three years later in the Barbary Wars off the coast of Tripoli.

Where does the name Decatur come from?

Decatur received its name on June 16, 1820, in honor of Stephen Decatur, a naval hero of the War of 1812. The Alabama Legislature officially incorporated the city in 1826.

What did Stephen Decatur say?

The phrase "My country right or wrong" is one of those iconic American quotes that has almost become cliche. Like many iconic phrases, however, it has been often misquoted, taken out of context, and misused. Commodore Stephen Decatur uttered the phrase in 1816 as a toast during a dinner held here in Norfolk.

Who stopped the Barbary pirates?

Following the Napoleonic Wars and the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15, European powers agreed upon the need to suppress the Barbary corsairs entirely. The threat was finally subdued by the French conquest of Algeria in 1830 and subsequent pacification by the French during the mid-to-late 19th Century.

Who said my country right or wrong?

“My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” Carl Schurz's speech was received with a deafening applause from the gallery, and this speech established Carl Schurz as one of the foremost and distinguished orators of the Senate.

Who were the Barbary pirates?

The Barbary pirates were mostly Berbers, Arabs, and other Muslims, but some came from Christian Europe. The pirates used small, fast-moving vessels to capture trading ships and their cargoes. They held the crews and passengers for ransom or sold them as slaves. Each of the four Barbary States had its own ruler.

What was impressment How did it help cause the War of 1812?

Impressment, or “press gang” as it was more commonly known, was recruitment by force. It was a practice that directly affected the U.S. and was even one of the causes of the War of 1812. The British navy consistently suffered manpower shortages due to the low pay and a lack of qualified seamen.

Which famous 19th century US naval figure was captain of the USS United States when it captured the HMS Macedonian at an October 25 1812 engagement?

On October 25, 1812, the USS "United States", commanded by Captain Stephen Decatur, defeated the HMS "Macedonian" off of the coast of Africa.

How many Decatur's are there in the United States?

There are 17 places named Decatur in America.

Is Decatur IL dying?

Following the ADM corporate exit, Decatur became listed by the United States Census Bureau as number 3 in "The 15 Fastest-Declining Large Cities" which showed a 7.1% population loss of (-5,376) from 2010 to 2019.

Why does Decatur IL smell?

Decatur is lucky to have what you call funky smells. Those smells are the smell of money being made from the crops grown on central Illinois farms and processed in Decatur's many agribusiness industries. They have put central Illinois on the map and made Decatur the agribusiness capital of the world.

Is Decatur rich?

The per capita income in Decatur in 2018 was $54,868, which is wealthy relative to Georgia and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $219,472 for a family of four. However, Decatur contains both very wealthy and poor people as well. Decatur is an extremely ethnically-diverse city.

Is Smyrna GA Safe?

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Smyrna is 1 in 38. Based on FBI crime data, Smyrna is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Georgia, Smyrna has a crime rate that is higher than 68% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Is Decatur a good city to live in?

Decatur has its solid schools, family atmosphere, and nightlife to thank for its high marks, earning Niche's A+ rating in each category. ... And the city's owner-strong housing market and population diversity didn't hurt its score—A+ overall—either.