The lake was also an important strategic defense because of possible British invasion from the North. The British fleet’s occupation of Lake Erie threatened supply lines and a decrease in adequate roads for the transportation of American troops. President James Madison realized the significance of reclaiming the lost territory and recognized that it was necessary to control Lake Erie as a crucial line of communication and trade. The surrender of Detroit on Augwas a harsh blow to the Americans. The concession of these territories opened up the whole northwestern frontier of Ohio, as well as northwestern Pennsylvania, to incursion by the British and their Native American allies. He surrendered Detroit to British General Isaac Brock along with the entirety of the Michigan Territory. American General William Hull, an inept leader, took over this expedition. to send military forces into the Michigan Territory. The hostility of the British and some Native American tribes required the U.S. was poorly prepared for military or naval campaigns. When the War of 1812 was declared in June, the U.S. Before this triumph, American troops had suffered multiple defeats at the hands of the British and, as a result, their morale was diminishing. This victory was an important part of the War of 1812 because it allowed America to gain control of Lake Erie, preventing the British from penetrating the middle of the United States. ” On September 10, 1813, the American navy under command of Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British at the Battle of Lake Erie. The firing was incessant for the space of three hours. Samuel Brown, one witness, later remarked, “The spectacle was truly grand and awful. Oliver Hazard Perry commanded the victorious American fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie.īillowing smoke enveloped the battling ships, obscuring the results from the spectators standing on shore only a few miles away.
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