. Our country's story; an elementary history of the United States . havior of England, but had notbeen able to prevent it for want of an army. Eng-land was engaged in the war with France also^but she had a large and well-trained army andsixty times as many warships as the United ,/^;v,iStates. Nevertheless, this country would bearno more, and war was declared. Thecontest is called the War of 1812. The first aim of the Americanswas to conquer Canada, but they didnot succeed. As the enemy wereinvading the Northwestern Terri-tory, it began to be clear that theonly way to keep them out was togam p
. Our country's story; an elementary history of the United States . havior of England, but had notbeen able to prevent it for want of an army. Eng-land was engaged in the war with France also^but she had a large and well-trained army andsixty times as many warships as the United ,/^;v,iStates. Nevertheless, this country would bearno more, and war was declared. Thecontest is called the War of 1812. The first aim of the Americanswas to conquer Canada, but they didnot succeed. As the enemy wereinvading the Northwestern Terri-tory, it began to be clear that theonly way to keep them out was togam possession of Lake Erie. Ayoung naval officer named OliverHazard Perry was sent to Erie, Pennsylvania, to build a fleet. To keep English ships from sailing up the Saint Lawrence, thefrigate Constitution under Captain Hull was sent at the beginning The Const!-of the war to cruise about the Gulf. One afternoon he caught thJ^uer-sight of the British frigate Guerriere, the ship of all ships that he riferewas most eager to meet, for he had once been chased nearly three. OLD IRONSIDES (Built in Boston, 1797, and now at tbe Charlestown Navy Yard) 178 OUR COUNTRYS STORY days by the Guerriere and the rest of her fleet, and he meantto have his revenge. The British captain was ready, for hewas sure that he could capture any American vessels with abit of striped bunting at their mastheads, as he said scorn-fully. The fight was not half an hour long. The masts of theGuerriere were shot away, and her hull was riddled with cannonballs. There was nothing to do but to surrender. The wreckwas not worth saving, and it was set afire. New England hadnot favored this Avar, but Avhen Cai)tain Ilidl appeared in Bostonharbor, the city made ready to give him such a reception as shehad never given to any man before. To sink an English frigatewas enough to arouse the enthusiasm of this little nation withits navy of sixteen vessels. One city gave Hull and his officersswords, another presented silver plate.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherbosto, bookyear1908
