The American Navy in The War Of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The American Navy in The War Of 1812 - Essay Example In fact, the war of 1812 broke out because Britain, France, Naples, Spain, and the Netherlands were all engaged in capturing more and more American ships and the number of captured American ships over the thirty year period from the Revolutionary War to 1812 was nearly 1500. That means an average of more than 30 ships in a year. It seems that they were all trying to exploit the vulnerability of the first democratic nation in the world that was young in all stages of development. It was this situation that made America declare war against Britain despite its much smaller Navy as compared to that of Britain. At this juncture, it seems useful to look into the history of the most prominent figures of the 1812 war. One of them was Isaac Hull who was the commander of USS Constitution. Admittedly, USS Constitution was a well-built ship, and it increased the number of guns on board to 50 during the war under the guidance of Hull. As a result of its better hull strength, broadside weight, and better gun power, the USS Constitution under the command of Hull effectively withstood the British attack, and returned heavier firepower, thus resulting in considerable loss to the British Navy. In August 1812, the USS Constitution captured the British Guerriere’s with this superior firepower. Another such prominent figure was Master Commander Oliver Hazzard Perry who was sent to face the British in control of Lake Erie. The British had better guns and bigger and stronger ships as compared to the vessels in the US fleet.