In This Week in Military History, we highlight the beginnings of one of the most storied names in US Naval History: that of the USS Enterprise.

The very first ship to bear this name was captured and rechristened as such on May 18, 1775.

Originally a British ship named George, the first USS Enterprise was a topsail schooner employed in the defense of Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War.

Before the George’s captured, two weeks earlier on May 3, 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold and his men were directed to march on Fort Ticonderoga, located near Lake Champlain, in New York state.

The Battle of Ticonderoga occurred on May 10, when Arnold, together with ethan Allen, surprised the British garrison holding the fort. As part of the prize the Americans captured a schooner, which they renamed Liberty, as well as other smaller boats, before sailing North.

On May 18, Arnold and his men seized Fort St. Johns (now Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu) in Quebec, Canada. Among the shipyards there was the George. Rechristened the USS Enterprise, it helped form the beginnings of the American fleet. With Liberty and other smaller ships, the USS Enterprise maintained control of Lake Champlain, cutting the British off from vital supply routes during the American Revolution.

The name USS Enterprise lived on, with eight subsequent ships bearing that illustrious name and serving in the First Barbary War, World War I, and of course WWII, where it was the most decorated U.S. ship of the war. The name itself found wider acclaim as the star of star Trek .

Join us next time for another segment of This Week in Military History with the Pritzker Military Museum & Library!

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