War Of 1812 Research Paper

During the War of 1812 there were two naval battles that were important to the outcome of the war. Both battles took place in freshwater far away from the ocean and the more well known single ship duels between the United States frigates and the British ships, and both had a lasting impact on the war. The first was the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813 under the command of Oliver Hazard Perry five schooners, three brigs and a sloop captured and defeated two ships, two schooners, a brig and a sloop of the Royal Navy at Put-in-Bay in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio. The Battle lasted for hours and Perry’s flagship Lawrence was demolished causing him to transfer to the Niagara. He then sailed directly into the British line, firing broadsides and forcing the British to surrender. In the end there were a total of twenty-seven Americans killed and ninety-six wounded and forty killed british and

This victory gave American’s complete access to Lake Erie for the rest of the war cutting off supply lines to the British and the Canadians. This huge turning point allowed the Americans to retake Detroit and win the Battle of the Thames to break the Indian confederation of Tecumseh. After the battle Perry took a scrap sheet of paper and wrote his infamous report to Major General William Henry Harrison: “We have met the enemy and they are ours”. The second most important battle was the Battle of Plattsburgh or the False Nile. while the Battle of Lake Erie was a huge turning point in the war this battle was one of the deciding factors in the end of the war.The War of 1812 was already close to ending with British and American Negotiators meeting in Belgium to work out a peace treaty. However, the British weren’t quite done with the war and with the international principle Uti possidetis that allows any territory