Page 38 - NS-2 Textbook

THE GROWTH OF AMERICAN SEA POWER 31

of casualties. For the second time in the war, and only the at sea and on the Great Lakes united the nation and
second time in history, an entire British fleet had been de- started a great naval tradition. The United States at last
feated. Prevost beat a hasty retreat back to Canada the stood as an equal among the powers of the world, re-
next morning. spected as never before.
Macdonough's victory had a profound effect on peace
negotiations, which had been taking place in Ghent for
some time. The Duke of Wellington offered his opinion THE UNITED STATES ADVANCES AS
that the cost of any new offensive would vastly outweigh SEA POWER PROSPERS, 1815-1860
any probable gains, and that peace should be made at
The nation and the Navy emerged from the War of 1812
once, without demands for territmy. The British govern-
stronger and more confident than ever. Within a few
ment dropped their demand for territorial concessions
months of the Battle of New Orleans, hundreds of u.s.
and so notified the delegates at Ghent, thereby paving
merchantmen plied the world trade routes. A large naval
the way for conclusion of a peace treaty by year's end.
squadron sailed to the Mediterral1ean in the war with
On Christmas Eve 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed. Algiers to wind up the unfinished business with the
It made no mention of impressments, or of neutral ship-
Barbary states. After so doing, the United States kept up
ping rights at sea, the main reasons given by Madison for
its presence in the Mediterral1eal1 regularly until the
declaring war. These issues were no longer important, Civil War.
since the British had repealed the Orders in Council and
Many changes were to come in the business of sea-
the war in Europe was over.
faring. The Navy now enjoyed prestige and popularity
because of its successes in the war. For the first tin1e, the
Navy was able to build up after the end of a Wal~ with
CONCLUSION OF WAR public support. Piracy demal1ded the attention of the
Navy, especially in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
News traveled slowly in the early nineteenth cenhlry.
The desire to stop tl1e international slave trade added
Thus, even though the peace h'eaty ending the war had
other patrol duties. Conunercial trade grew rapidly.
been signed in Europe, fighting continued in America. Whaling became a major industry in New England ports.
The British expedition to Louisiana had finally arrived
And some of the most "romantic" days in the history of
off the mouth of the Mississippi River on 8 December
sailing were about to unfold. American clipper ships
1814, after having been delayed several weeks by priva- would soon become the queens of the sea.
teer actions in the Azores. Soon the British had swept
The age of technology began to have an effect on life
through a flotilla of gunboats and sailing vessels arrayed
at sea. The science of oceanography came into being. Bet-
against them, and on 23 December, they landed 8 miles ter instruments, mapping, and clocks improved naviga-
below New Orleans and began skirmishing with U.s.
tion and helped American firms compete for world
general Andrew Jackson and his defenders. By the end of
h·ade. Steam propulsion came into the world of sea
the first week in January, more than 8,000 British veter- power. With it came the screV\T propellel~ iron hull! armor"
ans under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham were
and heavy ordnance with the first rifled barrels. No
ashore and ready to attack. Upstream, Jackson's force
major 'wars, and consequently no major sea battles, "\Tere
had grown to 4,000 men, including a contingent of ex-
fought between 1815 and 1860. For the first tin1e, wars in
pirate Jean Lafitte's men and a naval battery marmed by Europe did not directly affect American progress. Amer-
gurmers from the disabled schooner Louisial1a.
icans 'vent their way, across the seas and across the con-
On 8 Janualy 1815 Pakenham foolishly marched his
tinent.
men in a frontal assault against Jackson's strong position
between the Mississippi and a swamp where he had dug
in to prevent encirclement. Jackson's riflemen firing from PIRACY AND PROTECTION
behind cotton bales and earthworks mowed the British
down. When the smoke cleared, Pakenham and over The chief task of the U.s. Navy behveen 1815 and 1860
2,000 of his troops were dead or wounded, and the rest was promoting and protecting u.s. overseas commerce.
were in flight. American h'ade increased fivefold during the period.
The peace treaty finally arrived in the United States American traders were everywhere on the globe. Often
on 11 February, and Congress ratified it six days later. By the traders sailed into areas of rebellion and hlrmoil-the
and large, the treaty was welcome in both countries, type of sihtation in which piracy flourishes.
since they had much more to gain from trade with each After taking care of Algiers, along with Morocco,
other than from war. The U.s. Navy had won new re- Tunis, and Tripoli, in naval operations during 1815 and
spect throughout the world. American diplomats were 1816, the United States signed treaties with the BarbalY
again treated with respect. The victories of the navy both states that stopped the need to pay tribute. American