Trouble On the High Seas-- Part 3: Seizing and Sinking American Ships

THE TROUBLE AT SEA

This sort of trouble wasn't new.  Ships of the British Royal Navy had been stopping American merchant ships ever since 1793, when England went to war with France.  It was England's war policy to stop all ships from trading in French seaports.  To make sure that American ships were not taking war supplies to France, British warships stopped them on the ocean and British sailors went on board to search the cargo.

French warships did the same.  If the French or British found enemy cargo on board, the ship might be sunk or captured.  Dozens of American ships were lost that way, and thousands of dollars' worth of goods were lost with every ship.

--Brock-Perry

Trouble On the High Seas-- Part 2: The "Leopard" and the "Chesapeake"

In 1807 the American warship Chesapeake was leaving the Virginia coast when the British ship Leopard came up from behind and gave a signal.  The Chesapeake took in sail and slowed down, and a British naval officer went over in a small boat.  He had orders to arrest a British sailor who, he said, was aboard the Chesapeake.

The American captain told him that the sailor he wanted was not aboard the ship, and he would not let him make a search.  The officer went back to the Leopard, and eight minutes later the British surprised the Chesapeake by firing at her.

The Chesapeake was a new ship, not ready for battle.  There were ropes and supplies all over her deck and only a few cannons were in place to fire.  The Americans were badly hit even before they could begin to shoot back.  After twenty men were wounded, the captain lowered his flag.  A British naval party came aboard, lined the crew of the Chesapeake, and found the man they were looking for.  They took him and three other seamen off the ship, and the Chesapeake went limping back to port.

Them's Fighting Words.  --Brock-Perry

Trouble On the High Seas-- Part 1: Make Treaties But Stay Out of European Wars

From the textbook "Adventures in American History"

Of interest to see how textbooks have covered the War of 1812.  This is one of the textbooks I used while teaching.

When Washington was President, his plan was to keep out of European troubles.  His policy was to make friendly treaties with the foreign countries but do nothing that might get the  United States into European wars.  That was John Adams' foreign policy, and it was Jefferson's too.

But after James Madison became President, war finally broke out between the United States and England.  It was the War of 1812.  This part of Chapter 11 is about the troubles between England and the United States that led to war between the two nations.

--Brock-Perry