Long before modern technology, colonists were seeking innovative ways to gain an advantage over the British. This image shows a replica of the first American combat submarine: the pedal-powered Turtle. The Turtle was designed by David Bushnell during the American Revolution to engage in covert operations against the British. Its central mission was to slip into New York Harbor and attach a bomb to a British warship. Though the mission failed, the Turtle shows the importance of covert naval tactics during the Revolutionary War. Rick and Laura Brown of Handshouse Studio—aided by students, professional craftsmen, and the U.S. Naval Academy—built this replica of the Turtle.