The burning of the HMS Gaspee in June 1772 had a profound impact on the struggle for American Independence. Was it an opportune act of defiance, or was it a carefully orchestrated statement against the growing power of the British crown? Steven Park, author of The Burning of His Majesty's Schooner Gaspee: An Attack on Crown Rule before the American Revolution , an event commemorated every June with Rhode Island's Gaspee Days.