Samuel Shaw was a Revolutionary War naval officer who, along with Richard Marven, were among the first whistleblowers of the infant

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. As a whistleblower, Shaw was instrumental in the Continental Congress' passage of the first whistleblower protection law in the United States. Shaw, a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

, and Marven, a third lieutenant in the

Continental Navy The Continental Navy was the navy of the United Colonies and United States from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the American Revolutionary ...

, were moved to act after witnessing the torture of British prisoners of war by Commodore Esek Hopkins, then Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy. Shaw and Marven were both from

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, as was Hopkins, whose brother was Stephen Hopkins,

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of the new state, and a signatory to the

Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

. For reporting the misconduct of the Navy's highest officer, Shaw and Marven were both dismissed from the Navy. Hopkins then filed a criminal libel suit against Shaw and Marven in the Rhode Island Courts. Appalled by the case, the Continental Congress then enacted a whistleblower protection law on July 30, 1778, by unanimous consent. The law declared it "the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or any other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge." Congress then appropriated monies to represent and defend Shaw and Marven against the libel suit filed against Hopkins, resolving that, "reasonable expences icof defending the said suit be defrayed by the United States," and ordered the termination of Hopkins' employment, as he "had misconducted himself." On the second National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, Shaw was recognized as an unsung hero of American Whistleblowers. On July 30, 2015, Shaw was recognized at the First Congressional Celebration of National Whistleblower Appreciation Day, honored as one of two federal employees who created protections for those who stand for truth.

References

Continental Navy officers American whistleblowers Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{US-navy-bio-stub

See also

References