George Dewey Born in Montpelier

Summary

George Dewey was born on December 26, 1837, in Montpelier, Vermont. He attended Norwich University before entering the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1858. Dewey served in the Union Navy during the Civil War, participating in operations under David Farragut and in fighting along the Mississippi River and Atlantic coast. He remained in naval service after the war and eventually received command of the Asiatic Squadron. At the opening of the Spanish-American War in 1898, Dewey led the American squadron into Manila Bay in the Philippines and destroyed or captured the Spanish Pacific fleet. The victory made him one of the most celebrated American military figures of the era and contributed to the United States taking control of the Philippines after the war. Congress subsequently created the rank of Admiral of the Navy for Dewey, making him the only person to have held that rank.