Oliver Hazard Perry: Kicking the British Out of Lake Erie

“We have met the enemy and they are ours.” -Oliver Hazard Perry

When the British came back to fight round two against the US during the war of 1812, they weren’t expecting to face men like Oliver Hazard Perry. With a middle name like Hazard, one has to wonder why the British even took their chances. His career prior to 1812 led him to take part in the Quasi-war with the French and also the Barbary Wars in Tripoli. He was then given command of what he considered "insignificant positions" during the interwar period. When the war of 1812 broke out he petitioned for a better command at sea. As fate would have it, he got his position in the Great Lakes. However, this fleet was still under construction on Lake Erie. 

Up to this point in American history, the British owned the land from the Ohio River to the Mississippi. They had won this territory from the French during the French and Indian War (or the Seven Years War) which started due to fur trading. Beaver pelts were in high demand and the white fur traders would establish outposts that would become trading centers for native American trappers to trade their pelts to their European allies. Some of these outposts may have a familiar ring to them: Milwaukee, Chicago, and Detroit just to name a few. When the British finally won the war, they gained vast amounts of territory from the French including control over the Great Lakes region. After the American Revolution, the colonists (now American citizens) gained control over the Northwest Territory and the Great Lakes Region; however, the British remained in the territories in violation of the Jay Treaty between America and the British Crown. Meaning that even though on paper America owned the land, the British were still working in the region. When the War of 1812 broke out, the Great Lakes and the Ohio River Valley became a hotly contested area.

During the war of 1812, the British had been sailing the Great Lakes freely and blockading the Americans. Oliver Hazard Perry changed that. After being given his new command he is credited with commanding a fleet built in the Ohio Valley wilderness (present day Erie, PA). Despite poor supply lines the four wooden ships were hastily built in this small town because it was the only harbor that was protected and could receive supplies from Pittsburgh. In August of 1813, the ships were finally built. The British unexpectedly lifted the blockade, which gave Oliver Hazard Perry his chance; he darted out from the protection of the bay and began his chase to find the British fleet.  He found them on September 10^th near Detroit and set up base in Put-In-Bay, OH in order to observe British movements. 

The British, low on supplies, were in a desperate situation and on the morning on Sept 10^th attempted to break out past the American fleet. Perry would not allow it and ordered his vessels to keep close to the British to take advantage of the superior firepower of the American vessels. At 11:45 the battle was on. The British struck first and for 45 minutes the Americans were unable to answer the long-range guns of the British until they got close enough. At 12:30 Perry ordered to open fire. The Americans opened up with the vessel Lawrence, who put up a stout fight but lost over 80% of its men and most of the guns on the engaged side. Perry, who was on the Lawrence, remained unhurt. He climbed into a rowboat and rowed to the nearest US ship and climbed aboard, determined to fight. Two British ships, seemingly confused from the battle and thinking the Americans were in retreat, collided into one another. Perry then seized his opportunity to kick them while they were down and ordered his new vessel the Niagara to swing in beside the British vessels and deliver a devastating blow. At 2:40pm the Battle of Lake Erie was won. The British were officially booted out of the Lake, which ensured American control of the region. The Northwest Territory was now officially in American hands.