On September 7, 1776, David Bushnell's one-man submersible, the Turtle, attempted to attach an explosive charge to the HMS Eagle in New York Harbor during the American Revolutionary War. Although the attack failed, the Turtle was the first submarine ever used in combat, marking a significant milestone in naval warfare.

The Turtle, a dramatic symbol of American ingenuity and the underdog's fight against a superior power, captured the revolutionary imagination. This early submarine, with its daring mission, inspired poets and writers who celebrated the spirit of defiance and innovation, from the patriotic verse of the early republic to the romanticized narratives of naval heroism in the 19th century.