VI.—More Trouble with England.
While America was having these troubles with the Barbary States, France and England were still at war. Commerce all over the world was affected, and in some cases almost destroyed by this long war.
The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, had forbidden all vessels of other nations to enter British ports. The English, in turn, said that no vessel should enter a port of France, or of any country belonging to France.
But the Americans had to endure still further injuries from the English. British war vessels claimed the right to stop American ships on the sea, search them, and carry off American sailors, claiming them as deserters from the English navy.
The French could not do this; for no American sailor could be accused of being a runaway Frenchman.
In 1807, an event took place which nearly led to war.
The British frigate Leopard, cruising along the coast, hailed the American frigate Chesapeake, and demanded permission to search the ship.
The captain of the Chesapeake refused. Without a word of warning, the Leopard fired into the Chesapeake, killing and wounding more than twenty men.
The American captain had not dreamed of such an outrage. His vessel had just put to sea and everything was in confusion. He did not even have a gun in condition to return the fire. So he lowered his flag and surrendered.
The officers of the Leopard then came on board and carried off four men from the crew.
The United States would have declared war at once if England had not apologized.
The President, at this time, was Thomas Jefferson. He was a man of peace. He called a session of Congress to see if the trouble could not be settled without war.
As a result of this session, a law was passed known as the Embargo Act. By this law, no vessel was allowed to sail from the United States to any foreign country.
In order to enforce the law, Congress ordered a number of gunboats to be built. These were to sail up and down the coast, and prevent any vessel from entering or leaving the ports.
Lieutenant Perry was ordered to superintend the building of a fleet of these gunboats at Newport. After they were built, he was put in command of them, and ordered to patrol Long Island Sound.
At this time, the government wanted a map of the harbors in the neighborhood of Newport. On account of his standing as a seaman, and of his education, Lieutenant Perry was selected to visit the harbors and make such a map.
He was given a fast sailing schooner called the Revenge. While carrying on this work, he was one day returning from Newport to New London, when a dense fog came on. The Revenge struck upon a reef of rocks, and went to pieces.
By great efforts Lieutenant Perry was able to save, not only all the crew, but the sails, rigging, and cannon.
He then went to Washington to explain the loss of the Revenge to the navy department. It was made clear that it was the fault of the local pilot who had charge of the vessel at the time.
Lieutenant Perry was commended for his gallant conduct in this disaster, and was also granted a year's leave of absence. He went to Newport, and on May 5, 1811, he was married to Elizabeth Champlin Mason.
The young couple took a wedding journey through New England. They spent one day in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Perry was much interested in visiting the place where his Quaker ancestor had lived so many years before.
During this time, the people of the United States had learned that the Embargo Act was a very unwise law. The men of Congress had thought to injure France and England by thus refusing to trade with them altogether. They soon discovered, however, that the damage to American commerce was far greater.
Trading vessels in the ports were left standing idle at the wharves, while the sailors were forced to find other employment.
JAMES MADISON.
All over the country, there arose a bitter feeling against this law. In the New England states, where there were the largest shipping interests, there was even talk of secession from the Union.
About this time a new President, James Madison, was elected. Soon afterward the Embargo Act was repealed, and in its place was passed a law which satisfied the people for a time. By this law, trade was allowed with every country but England and France.
American vessels now put to sea on voyages to foreign lands. But their old enemies, the English, soon began to annoy them as before.
In May, 1811, the British sloop Little Belt was hailed by the American frigate President, under the command of Commodore Rodgers. The reply was a cannon shot. The President then poured broadsides into the Little Belt. After the English had lost thirty-two men in killed and wounded, they came to terms.
COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS.
The American people now saw that war could no longer be avoided. On June 18, 1812, the formal declaration was made.