The War of 1812

(INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) >> THE FEDERALS HAD BUILT A NAVY IN THE 1790'S AT THE HEART OF WHICH WERE 13 FRIGATES. WHEN THE REPUBLICANS TOOK OVER IN 1801, THEY TOOK MOST OF THOSE SHIPS OUT OF SERVICE AND THEY ROTTED. AND SO BY 1812, WE ONLY HAD SEVEN FRIGATES PLUS A NUMBER OF SMALLER VESSELS. >> AS THE WAR OF 1812 PROGRESSED, THE OVERWHELMING STRENGTH OF THE ROYAL NAVY MEANT THAT THE FRIGATE FORCE OF THE USN WAS BLOCKADED INCREASINGLY INTO HARBOR. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ESCAPE. >> BY THE MIDDLE OF 1813, THE BRITISH HAD COMPLETE CONTROL OVER THE ENTIRE AMERICAN SEABOARD, ALL THE WAY DOWN THE EASTERN SEABOARD. NO AMERICAN SHIPS COULD GET TO SEA, NO AMERICAN SHIPS COULD OPERATE EVEN INTO STATE TRADE ON COASTAL ROUTES. SO THE AMERICAN ECONOMIC SYSTEM JUST STOPS. SOME STATES HAVE TOO MUCH TOBACCO, OTHERS HAVE TOO MUCH GRAIN, OTHERS HAVE TOO MUCH LUMBER, BUT NOBODY CAN BUILD AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM. >> THE ROYAL NAVY WAS STRETCHED THIN TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE BLOCKADE OF THE AMERICAN COAST, WHICH IT DID QUITE EFFECTIVELY. BUT THAT MEANT THAT ROYAL NAVY VESSELS WERE OFTEN UNDER-MANNED, THEY WERE OFTEN STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT IN TERMS OF THEIR RESOURCES, IN TERMS OF EXHAUSTION OF BEING ON STATION FOR A LONG TIME. >> THE ROYAL NAVY IS VERY BUSY DOING LOTS OF OTHER THINGS. THERE'S A BIG FLEET IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, THERE'S A BIG FLEET IN THE ATLANTIC APPROACHES, THERE'S A BIG FLEET ON THE COAST OF BELGIUM, THERE'S A BIG FLEET IN THE BALTIC, THERE'S A FLEET IN THE FAR EAST. (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) >> DENIED THE CHANCE TO USE THEIR NAVY TO ATTACK BRITISH SHIPPING, AMERICA TURNED TO THE PRIVATEER, AND BALTIMORE WAS A PARTICULAR SOURCE OF THESE VESSELS. >> ON CHESAPEAKE BAY, PARTICULARLY OPERATING OUT OF THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, A VERY FAST KIND OF SCHOONER DESIGN HAD EVOLVED. THESE WERE CALLED THE BALTIMORE CLIPPER SCHOONERS. THEY HAD RAKED MASTS AND VERY SHARP BOWS. THEY WERE VERY WET BOATS. THEY TENDED TO PLOW THROUGH WAVES INSTEAD OF GOING OVER THEM, BUT THEY WERE EXTREMELY QUICK AND ABLE TO OUT-SAIL ALMOST ANYTHING THAT THE BRITISH COULD BRING AGAINST THEM. (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) >> THE PRIVATEERS ON THE SEA ARE PRIMARILY EX-NAVY OFFICERS WHO ACTUALLY PETITION THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY TO COMMANDEER BRITISH VESSELS. THEY WOULD BE GIVEN A PERCENTAGE OF THE SPOILS IF THEY WOULD CAPTURE A BRITISH VESSEL. THEY WOULD SPLIT THE SPOILS AND SO THERE WAS A FINANCIAL INCENTIVE. AND THEN ALSO THEY WEREN'T GUIDED BY ALL OF THE, QUOTE-UNQUOTE, RULES OF WAR. (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) >> THEY WERE ALMOST A GUERRILLA OUTFIT WITH BOATS. (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC) >> AMERICAN SEAFARERS ARE GOOD. THERE'S A LOT OF HIGH-QUALITY SEAFARING TALENT, A LOT OF GOOD SHIPS, AND BALTIMORE CLIPPERS ARE ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY. THEY RANGE RIGHT AROUND THE ATLANTIC AND THEY'RE OPERATING IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL, THE IRISH SEA. THEY'RE VERY EFFECTIVE AT CAPTURING SHIPS. THEY'RE NOT VERY EFFECTIVE AT GETTING THEM BACK TO AMERICA. MOST PRIVATEER CAPTURES ARE RECAPTURED BY THE BRITISH BECAUSE THE BRITISH HAVE THIS STRANGLEHOLD OF THE AMERICAN COAST. SO SHIPS TRYING TO GET INTO AMERICAN HARBORS ARE NORMALLY RECAPTURED. SO THE BRITISH ARE PAYING OUT INSURANCE ON SHIPS AND THEN GETTING THEM BACK. THE BRITISH WILL NOT BE BEATEN IN THIS WAY. >> THERE WAS EXTENSIVE TRADE WITH GREAT BRITAIN THAT CONTINUED DURING THE WAR. IN OTHER WORDS, TRADE WITH THE ENEMY IN SPITE OF ENEMY TRADE ACTS ADOPTED BY CONGRESS. NOW, THIS HAPPENED ALL, ON ALL FRONTIERS, AS FAR SOUTH AS ST. MARY'S ON THE COAST OF GEORGIA. THERE WERE BRITISH SHIPS THAT WERE NEARBY AND THEY WERE TRADING WITH AMERICANS, AND THEN ALL ALONG THE BRITISH COAST, AMERICANS WERE SUPPLYING THOSE BLOCKADING SHIPS. REPUBLICANS AS WELL AS FEDERALISTS ENGAGED IN THIS ILLEGAL TRAFFIC. IT WAS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO SUPPRESS IT. THEY SIMPLY DIDN'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, EITHER THE MILITARY FORCE AVAILABLE OR CUSTOMS OFFICIALS TO SUPPRESS THIS TRADE. SO IN THIS ON-GOING WAR BETWEEN SMUGGLERS AND U.S. OFFICIALS, I THINK THE SMUGGLERS GENERALLY WON. (INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC)