| Shorttitle: | Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 |
| Longtitle: | That it is the duty of all persons in the service of the United States, as well as all other the inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which may come to their knowledge. |
| Effective Date: | July 30, 1778 |
| Signedpresident: | Henry Laurens |
| Signeddate: | July 30, 1778 |
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 was an Act of Congress passed by the Second Continental Congress and signed into law by President of the Continental Congress Henry Laurens in 1778. It was the first piece of legislation concerning whistleblower protection in the United States passed by Congress. The act was created as a result of Continental Navy officer Esek Hopkins being reported on by fellow officers for torturing British prisoners of war. Congressional politicians, aware of the burdens the act placed on American civil servants, included in the act a provision for legal expenses in the event that whistleblowers were the subject of legal proceedings. Laurens signed the act into law in York, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1778.[1]
The Whistleblower Protection Act of 1778 was the first piece of legislation concerning whistleblower protection in the United States passed by the Second Continental Congress. The act was created as a result of the actions of Continental Navy officer Commodore Esek Hopkins, who was reported on by ten fellow officers in February 1777, including Richard Marven and Samuel Shaw, for torturing British prisoners of war imprisoned onboard the frigate while it was in the Providence River. The whistleblowers reported on Hopkins' use of torture by filing a petition to the Eastern Navy Board, then the Marine Committee, and ultimately the Second Continental Congress. Congressional politicians, aware of the burdens the act placed on American civil servants, included in the act a provision for legal expenses in the event that whistleblowers were the subject of legal proceedings. President of the Continental Congress Henry Laurens signed the act into law in York, Pennsylvania on July 30, 1778.[2] [3]
The petition went as follows:
The Complaint Petitions as Filed by the Continental Navy Mariners
Web site: Esek Hopkins, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy During the American Revolution ~ 1775 to 1778 . Field . Edward . 1898 . Internet Archive . Providence, Rhode Island . The Preston & Rounds Co. . 99000033 . 3430958 . 141–236.
Web site: The Letter Book of Esek Hopkins, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Navy ~ 1775-1777 . Hopkins . Esek . Beck . Alverda Sammis . 1932 . Internet Archive . Providence, Rhode Island . Rhode Island Historical Society . 1238112565.