In the summer of 1812 Britain stood alone, fighting for her very
survival against a vast European Empire. Only the Royal Navy stood
between Napoleon's legions and ultimate victory. In that dark hour
America saw its chance to challenge British dominance: her troops
invaded Canada and American frigates attacked British merchant
shipping, the lifeblood of British defence. War polarised America.
The south and west wanted land, the north wanted peace and trade.
But America had to choose between the oceans and the continent.
Within weeks the land invasion had stalled, but American warships
and privateers did rather better, and astonished the world by
besting the Royal Navy in a series of battles. Then in three
titanic single ship actions the challenge was decisively met.
British frigates closed with the Chesapeake, the Essex and the
President, flagship of American naval ambition. Both sides found
new heroes but none could equal Captain Philip Broke, champion of
history's greatest frigate battle, when HMS Shannon captured the
USS Chesapeake in thirteen blood-soaked minutes. Broke's victory
secured British control of the Atlantic, and within a year
Washington, D.C. had been taken and burnt by British troops.
General
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