War of 1812, Part 5: We Have Met the Enemy

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

The key to controlling Upper Canada in the War of 1812 was gaining naval mastery of the Great Lakes. Secretary of the Navy William Jones appointed Oliver Hazard Perry to command the American fleet on Lake Erie. His adversary was Captain Robert Barclay, whose fleet consisted of six ships, the largest of which was the Detroit with nineteen guns and the Queen Charlotte with seventeen guns. In comparison, Perry’s fleet consisted of nine warships, including two twenty-gun brigs: the Lawrence, which Perry named his flagship, and the Niagara, which Perry assigned to Captain Jesse Elliott. On September 10, 1813, just before noon, the British long guns on the Detroit opened the engagement and Perry gave the order to close with the enemy. 

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how Perry’s heroic efforts turned the tide when the American and British fleets met on Lake Erie, why it still matters today.  

 

Images courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, New York Public Library, Library of Congress, Wikimedia. 

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War of 1812, Part 4: British Invade Ohio