HISTORICAL OLYMPIA
BACKGROUND
The Olympia is the oldest steel warship afloat in the world. Launched in 1892, she is known for her role as Admiral Dewey’s flagship at the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay where the Americans defeated the Spanish in the first victory of the Spanish-American War. She served in World War I, and brought home the body of the Unknown Soldier from France to the US in 1921. Decommissioned in 1922, she is now a National Historic Landmark that has been a part of the Independence Seaport Museum since 1996.
Historical Photos
HISTORICAL REFERENCES
More information on the Olympia can be found on the web site of the Independence Seaport Museum at:
http://www.phillyseaport.org/olympia
Additional historical material:
“The Bounding Billow” – onboard ship journal, 1895 – 1899
https://archive.org/details/theboundingbillo00whitrich
“Three Years Behind the Guns” – a ship’s chronicle by Lieu Tisdale