Existing comment:
War on the Sea:
War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War:
Facing numerical odds of 20 to 1, the US Navy initially took advantage of Britain's commitments fighting France, and won a series of ship-to-ship duels in 1812.
By the next year, the British used their superior numbers to blockade American ports, trapping much of the Navy in home waters. By 1814, however, several US ships had broken free, and fought duels from Britain to the Pacific.
"We had retired from the combat with the stripes yet bleeding on our backs."
-- London Times, 30 December 1814
Alone and on the run, the remaining American warships plagued British shipping. They took more than 500 enemy merchantmen and drove up prices in already war-weary Britain.
By 1815, the US Navy had achieved greatness wholly out of proportion to its size, stunned the world, and upheld American resolve until an honorable peace was won. |