USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere (War of 1812) - Research Paper Example

?USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere (War of 1812) Introduction The momentous battle between USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere was a single-ship action which would impact on the War of 1812. This battle was seen after the war broke out and served to eventually improve the morale of the American people. This essay shall provide an analysis of the battle between the USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere and the impact of such battle on the overall turnout of the War of 1812. Its thesis shall revolve around the consideration that the USS Constitution was a mighty warship which rightfully earned its nickname, “Old Ironsides.” Firstly, this paper shall provide an overview of the War of 1812. Secondly, an overview of both ships shall then be presented. Lastly, this paper will establish a critical analysis of the battle in the larger context of the war. Concluding remarks shall end this discussion. This paper is being carried out in order to establish a more thorough and critical understanding of the clash between the two aforementioned ships, including their place in the momentous War of 1812. Body War of 1812 The War of 1812 is considered a war between the US and Britain. The US declared war against Britain for many reasons, mostly related to the trade restrictions which Britain imposed on the US as an offshoot of its war with France1. The US was also declaring its protest against Britain for the latter’s practice in the impressment (seizing sailors into public service) of American sailors into its own navy. Britain was also supporting American Indians on their actions against American expansion2. The US was also outraged over the insults on its national identity following its humiliation on the high seas, and lastly, the war was also said to be brought on by the American desire to conquer Canada3. Initially, Britain employed defensive tactics on Upper and Lower Canada in an attempt to push back invading American troops. However, American troops soon successfully annexed Lake Erie in 1813, going on to control parts of Western Ontario, thereby ending any hope of an Indian confederacy and an Independent Indian country under British protection4. General Andrew Jackson was also able to overwhelm military troops of the Creek nation in 1814. When Napoleon was defeated in 1814, however, Britain employed more aggressive tactics, and deployed more invasion troops5. Soon after, British victories were seen, resulting in the capture and destruction of Washington, D.C. American troops were nevertheless able to push back British troops out of New York, Baltimore, and New Orleans. The war was fought at sea through British and American warships and through privateers who then proceeded to attack the merchant ships for either side6. Britain also implemented a blockade of the Atlantic coast of the US, thereby launching raids during the late stages of the war. American victories at sea were mostly single ship battles and battles against Britain provincial ships on the Great Lakes7. The land and the sea battles were seen on the frontier, covering the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River. In the South and Gulf coasts, major skirmishes between the battling parties were seen, and the US troops successfully pushed out the British forces at New Orleans8. Invasions of each other’s territories were rampant throughout the war however, most of these invasions were temporary as neither side was able to establish more permanent annexations. By the end of the war, both sides were able to conquer each other’s territories9. In the end, the Treaty of Ghent restored the territories of either party. USS Constitution The USS Constitution was a battle ship of the US Navy. It was wooden-hulled and was a three-masted heavy frigate dubbed by President George Washington after the US Constitution10. It was also the world’s oldest commissioned naval ship. In 1797, the USS Constitution began its journey, joining six original frigates constructed under mandate from the Naval Act of 179411. It was built in Boston and her initial functions as a frigate were to defend the American merchant ships in its Quasi-War with France. Its use as a frigate would later expand with the various skirmishes the US was later involved in12. HMS Guerriere The HMS Guerriere was a battle ship for the Britain’s Royal Navy. It was a 38-gun frigate which was originally under the French Navy and known as the Guerriere13. Under French control, it battled with the Duguay-Trouin in 1803, and later with the HMS Culloden, and was later forced to surrender by the HMS Blanche. Under the British control it was named HMS Guerriere, first sailing to the West Indies and off the coast of America for several years14. She successfully captured various privateers and was in America when the War of 1812 broke out. USS Constitution versus HMS Guerriere On August 1st 1812, the USS Constitution prepared to set out to sea under its captain Isaac Hull15. The Captain received orders from Washington to supply the ship and waited for over a week to proceed. Reports of a powerful British ship almost conquering the Constitution were very much active and the whereabouts of such British ship was at that time, not known and was causing some concerns on the frigate itself16. Two British frigates were also seen at the Bay of Massachusetts and they were ready to close out the Boston Harbor. Hull requested for any letters from Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton indicating any additional orders. However, Hamilton and the commander of the squadron Captain John Rodgers did not leave any instructions17. Hull was then prompted to write Hamilton requesting any orders and explaining the urgency of any action on the part of the US Navy. Captain Hull was the son of a merchant captain and his approach to his work was based on an unpretentious enjoyment of his work18. He was a brave soldier and officer and he was able to lead daring expeditions of other ships and significant battles19. His letter made it to Washington, just as Hamilton also sent a letter ordering Hull to relinquish command of the Constitution to Commodore Bainbridge. On the 2nd of August however, Hull maneuvered the Constitution out of the harbor in order to avoid being blockaded by a stronger force20. For two weeks, the ship did not encounter any other ships and on August 15, it deployed boats eastward over 40 miles of Cape Race, Newfoundland. By midafternoon, the Constitution encountered an American brig with five American prisoners21. The prisoners confessed that the British squadron was to their east; however, in actuality, the squadron was already out of the area. Three days after, the USS Constitution met up with an American privateer who indicated the presence of a large ship of war which was alone, southward, and not far from them. Hull changed his course southward. This frigate was the HMS Guerriere, under the control of Captain James R. Dacres22. It was originally with its squadron in the Atlantic however it was ordered to Halifax in order to get supplies. It encountered and captured various American merchant ships while on its way to Halifax. The American merchant ship Betsey was also captured by the Guerriere and its master William Orne was taken prisoner. The Betsey was then sent to Halifax as a prize23. After capturing the Betsey, the Guerriere also boarded the merchant boat John Adams. When it saw that the ship was under British license, the captain let the brig captain go. He however took time to write in the ship’s register, expressing his compliments to the commodore Rodgers of the US Navy, hoping to meet him and any other American frigate for a tete-a-tete24. On August 19, the Constitution spotted the sail of the Guerriere of their port bow and Hull ordered all hands on deck and every man on the ship presented their readiness to engage25. The Guerriere also spotted the Constitution and the captain asked William Orne if the ship was American or French26. Orne speculated that the ship was American, and Dacres believed that the ship was too bold to be an American. It contemplated the honor it would gain in capturing an American frigate27. The British crew proceeded to hang a barrel of molasses to prepare for any possible prisoners. They believed that the Americans liked drinking molasses. He also asked Orne if he wanted to go below deck to assist the surgeon to treat his wounded countrymen28. Both ships prepared for battle. The Constitution was windward, and as such was at an advantage for ship-to-ship battle. As the Constitution came up, the Guerriere changed course several times, firing broadsides29. Its initial shots fell short and the others overshot their mark. Each time, Hull ordered the ship to shift slightly, taking enemy fire instead on the side of its bows and thereby avoiding any hits on its vulnerable deck. Hull also ordered more sail in order to speedily close in on the Guerriere30. As the ships were closing in on each other, the Constitution was now getting significant hits from the sternmost guns of the Guerriere. Hull ordered his men to hold fire. As the Constitution was a few dozen yards away, it fired all its starboard side guns on the deck and the gun ports of the Guerriere31. This first volley of gunfire led to the Guerriere’s mizzenmast going overboard. The Guerriere was severely crippled with both its ship and its men crumbling from the first volley of the Constitution. The USS Constitution continued to forge into the Guerriere, seeking to cross the ship’s bow. Guerriere employed evasive moves, but the ship’s damage made the move impossible. With continuous shots from the Constitution to the Guerriere’s port bow, the Guerriere continued to take a beating from the Constitution32. The Constitution momentarily got caught up in the Guerriere’s mizzen rigging. Both sides then prepared to board the other’s ship. A heated exchange of gunfire followed, and both parties were able to get good shots against each other. The Constitution however, eventually emerged victorious and Dacres agreed with his senior officers that it was time to surrender33. The USS Constitution obtained no shots to its hull during the exchange of gunfire and only seven died and seven were wounded in the battle. Guerriere reported 15 of its men dying with 62 wounded; however Orne was sure that there were about 25 dying and some of them were thrown overboard34. The Constitution took about 25 minutes to gain victory during the battle and its fire was very much accurate and decisive35. Hull was exuberant in his praise of his sailors. In the hours that followed the surrender of the Guerriere, prisoners were transported and soon enough, the Guerriere stood helpless. The ship was almost a total wreck. After a few hours, the Guerriere was set ablaze, its remnants sinking into the sea36. When the Constitution returned to Boston, it was largely hailed and lauded for its victory. They were labeled as heroes after they secured America’s first major naval victory over Britain’s powerful naval fleet37. The country celebrated and the Congress even awarded the officers and crew with $50,000. The ship earned the moniker Old Ironsides, especially when the crew would describe how the cannonballs looked like they were bouncing of the hull during their battle38. A hundred years after the end of the War of 1812, skeptics like Henry Adams criticized that the War of 1812 did not accomplish anything substantial. However, although the Treaty of Ghent restored the status quo for Britain and the US, the war was able to manifest that the US Navy had the successful ability to battle the mighty and powerful Royal Navy39. Moreover, for about three years, the US exemplified its power in the sea and it showed a major dent in the Royal Navy’s proverbial armor. Charles Adams was actually able to express that America’s birth as a significant world power was on the 19th of August 1812, when the HMS Guerriere surrendered to the USS Constitution40. Capturing and defeating the HMS Guerriere boosted the moral of the American morale as it had all but resigned naval superiority to the Royal Navy. With the victory over the Guerriere and the power gained by the US navy ships, the Royal Navy then stopped its leaders from engaging in ship-to-ship combat with the American ships41. There was however fewer American ships and their impact on the war became less significant. The Royal Navy’s strong blockade in the American coast also prevented the US ships from sailing into the sea42. In fact, an analysis of the War of 1812 indicates that the victory gained by the Constitution and other American ships did not have much effect on the turnout of the war43. The losses of the Royal Navy did not have much effect on the Royal fleet. Nevertheless, the victory uplifted American morale and it ended the myth of invincibility surrounding the Royal Navy. In the next forty years after the end of the War of 1812, the USS Constitution was able to gain various victories until it was decommissioned in 185544. However, the ship is very much remembered for its successes and its bloodless victories. A peace treaty was soon signed between the two countries in 1814 and although sporadic battles were still seen in the immediate years that followed, the War of 1812 is considered the last time that these two countries were on opposing sides in a battle45. It also marked the rise of the US as a maritime superpower. The USS Constitution’s role in such an honor was undeniable. The victory of the USS Constitution was first great news which the US citizens received amidst the many losses they were experiencing in the sea and the land battles. It also boosted their morale in the face of their significant loss in the Canadian front46. The surrender of Dacres was also considered the first time that a British ship captain had surrendered to the US Navy. Once again, it supported the notion that the Royal Navy was not quite as invincible as they thought it was47. Most of the Americans did not consider that the HMS Guerriere was not adequately equipped and fitted for an all out battle with the USS Constitution. They also did not consider the fact that the USS Constitution had about twice as many seamen as the HMS Guerriere48. These elements did not matter to the Americans. What was most important to them was that one of their naval vessels successfully battled a Royal Navy frigate and with skill and superior ability, they were able to inflict significant damage49. The US believed that it would no longer be looked upon with disdain in terms of its naval powers, and that its fleet could already be considered highly serviceable warships50. The victory of the US against a British frigate encouraged the US troops. Captain Decatur, leading the USS United States, soon gained the second US victory against the Royal Navy when it successfully captured the Royal Navy frigate HMS Macedonian51. Later, the USS Constitution, this time under the command of Captain William Bainbridge sailed south and on December 1812, it encountered the British frigate HMS Java in Brazil, and three hours after, gained another US victory52. The HMS Java was later burned after it also took too many hits, deeming it unsalvageable. The USS Constitution was relatively unscathed during this skirmish53. These victories further supported the notion that the Royal Navy was not invincible and that the victory that the US gained in the battle with the HMS Guerriere was not a fluke or a one-off. America was making its firm mark on the War of 1812, mostly in terms of declaring its naval power. The success which the three American frigates gained on the Royal Navy prompted the latter to establish five 40-gun and 24-pounder heavy frigates, as well as two spar-decked frigates; it also converted three old 74-gunships to heavy frigates54. In other words, the victory of the US Navy which started with the USS Constitution eventually pushed the Royal Navy to reconsider its own reputed invincibility and evaluate its naval power. Its losses in the US forced the Royal Navy to admit that there were elements more than size and guns which contributed to its losses55. The Royal Navy also acknowledged that the sloops and brigs of the US ships helped the latter gain its victories over British ships, even if they were of equal strength. The Royal Navy also observed that the American ships had numerous experienced volunteers and their own ships were so numerous that their crews were overstretched and shorthanded56. As a result, the quality of their work suffered and the quality of the ships was compromised as well. The defeats of three of its ships in the hands of the American frigates, prompted the Royal Navy to further push its frigates57. The Royal Navy sent out more ships towards the American waters, thereby tightening the blockade. When the USS Chesapeake under Captain James Lawrence’s command was defeated by the British frigate HMS Shannon, Britain felt massive relief because it finally ended the string of losses against the US Navy58. Both ships were of equal strength, and both parties fought in one of the bloodiest battles in this war. Captain Lawrence was killed during this battle and Captain Broke of the HMS Shannon was badly wounded and would end his naval career after this battle59. Even with the loss of the USS Chesapeake, the US Navy was determined to make a dent in the dominance of the Royal Navy. In 1813, the USS Essex commanded by Captain David Porter sailed the Pacific in an attempt to pressure British shipping60. The USS Essex challenged British affairs in relation to its practice of preying on American whalers. The Essex was successfully able to damage British activities before it was captured by HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub61. Once again, the US Navy was still riding high on the victory earned by the USS Constitution over the HMS Guerriere. Even if the Essex still lost its battle, the fact that it took the initiative to challenge British shipping practices said much about the strength which the US Navy has gained as a naval superpower. The British sixth-rate Cruizer-class brig sloops did not do well against American ship-rigged sloops of war. The USS Hornet and the USS Wasp were able to exemplify great strength and dominance over British ships, moreover, the Frolic class which the US Navy was able to build during the war proved even more formidable for Britain62. The British brig-rigged sloops were also prone to suffering fire in their rigging at far worse rates as compared to the American ships63. Moreover, the ship-rigged sloops could often back their sails, allowing significant advantages during maneuvering incidents64. The early losses of its Royal Navy prompted it to establish a new policy that the three American frigates which gained victory over the Royal Navy cannot be engaged in ship-to-ship combat or in combat by smaller vessels65. As a result of these changes, the Royal Navy was able to capture the USS President using a squadron of four frigates66. Nevertheless, the USS Constitution was still showing its strength as it was able to battle and capture two British war ships HMS Cyane and HMS Levant while these were sailing with their squadron. Once again, the US Navy was steadily making a huge dent on British naval supremacy, and successfully fending off British adjustments in its command67. The victory gained by the USS Constitution against the HMS Guerriere and the other victories against the Royal Navy forced Britain to tighten its US blockade. This US blockade eventually determined the direction of the war68. In an attempt to close down US ships within their coastal waters, the Royal Navy established a tight control of the American seaboard. The blockade of the American ports was so extensive and so tight that majority of the American commercial ships as well as its naval ships were trapped at the ports. The frigates USS United States and the USS Macedonian remained blockaded at the New London, Connecticut port until the war ended69. Some European and Asian commercial ships were able to continue their operations, however, many others especially those from New England had to gain licenses to trade from Admiral Sir John Warren, who was the commander in chief on the American station70. Licenses offered allowed Wellington’s army in Spain to receive US goods and still secure opposition of the New Englanders to the war. This blockade cost the US significantly and their exports also dropped significantly. The American privateers’ activities were very much extensive and their gains remained persistent until the end of the war71. They were only partly affected by the strict implementation of the convoy by the Royal Navy72. The US Navy vessels became bolder in their engagement of the Royal Navy soon after the USS Constitution victory over HMS Guerriere. The American sloop USS Argus carried out various attacks in British waters, until its capture by the HMS Pelican in 1813. About 1175 vessels were captured by the US Navy and privateer ships, and about 373 were later recaptured73. These are already significant numbers when the naval superiority of Britain is to be taken into account. The War of 1812 also marked the last time that Britain allowed privateering as they now saw the practice as political insignificant and not being relevant in its efforts to secure its naval superiority. All in all, although the War of 1812 and the victory of the USS Constitution over the HMS Guerriere did not significantly change the outcome of the war, the USS Constitution victory played a crucial role in compromising British naval superiority. Conclusion The discussion above indicates that the USS Constitution versus HMS Guerriere naval ship battle marked a time where the Royal Navy superiority was put into question. It also marked a time where the US was able to gain a moral boost in its efforts to defend its territories against Britain. Its victory came at the best time, a time where the US was losing major ground in both its sea and land skirmishes with the UK. 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