No Products in the Cart
We have been busy creating new products - Take a look here New Products
As Thanksgiving approaches, we often reflect on our blessings—family, freedom, and the abundance that defines American life. But in the Western Reserve of Northeast Ohio, there's a deeper story of gratitude tied to a pivotal moment in history. On September 10, 1813, during The War of 1812, a young naval commander named Oliver Hazard Perry led a ragtag fleet to a stunning victory against the British Navy on Lake Erie. This battle, fought near Put-in-Bay, Ohio, not only turned the tide of the war in the Northwest but also ensured that vast swaths of the American Midwest remained under the Stars and Stripes. Without Perry's triumph, the map of the United States might look drastically different today.
Enter Oliver Hazard Perry, a 28-year-old Master Commandant in the U.S. Navy (though often remembered as Commodore Perry for his post-battle promotion). Dispatched to Lake Erie, Perry was tasked with building and commanding a fleet from scratch. Working in the remote shipyard at Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, he collaborated with master shipbuilder Noah Brown from New York. In a remarkable feat of ingenuity and haste, they constructed nine vessels over the harsh winter and spring. The flagship was the brig USS Lawrence, named after Captain James Lawrence, whose dying words—"Don't give up the ship"—would become Perry's battle cry. Its sister ship was the USS Niagara, accompanied by seven smaller schooners and sloops: Ariel, Scorpion, Somers, Porcupine, Tigress, Trippe, and Caledonia. These ships were armed with a total of 54 guns, many of them short-range carronades suited for close-quarters combat.
The British, under Captain Robert Heriot Barclay, were no less determined. Barclay commanded a squadron of six ships: the flagship Detroit, Queen Charlotte, Lady Prevost, Hunter, General Hunter, Chippewa, and Little Belt, boasting 63 guns in total. Though the British had a slight edge in firepower, their long-range guns were less effective in the tight maneuvers Perry planned. Both sides suffered from shortages of experienced sailors; Perry's crew included many landsmen—farmers, tradesmen, and even free Black volunteers—bolstered by reinforcements from the Army. Barclay faced similar issues, relying on inexperienced crews and facing supply shortages that left his ships undermanned.
On the morning of September 10, 1813, the two fleets sighted each other near the Bass Islands, close to Put-in-Bay. Perry's ships weighed anchor and sailed westward to engage. The wind favored the Americans initially, allowing Perry to close the distance. At around noon, the battle erupted with a thunderous exchange of cannon fire. The USS Lawrence bore the brunt of the assault, trading broadsides with the Detroit and Queen Charlotte. For over two hours, the ships pounded each other relentlessly. The Lawrence was reduced to a floating wreck—its rigging shattered, decks slick with blood, and four out of every five men killed or wounded. Perry himself remained unscathed, though his uniform was torn by flying splinters.
In one of the most dramatic moments in naval history, Perry refused to surrender. Clutching his battle flag emblazoned with "Don't Give Up the Ship," he lowered himself into a small rowboat with a handful of survivors. Under a hail of musket and cannon fire, they rowed half a mile across the open water to the relatively undamaged USS Niagara. Once aboard, Perry took command and ordered the Niagara to charge through the British line. This bold maneuver—known as "breaking the line"—allowed the Americans to rake the enemy ships with devastating broadsides from both sides. The British vessels, already battered, could not withstand the onslaught. One by one, they struck their colors and surrendered.
The battle on Lake Erie lasted about three hours, but its outcome was decisive. Perry's famous dispatch to General William Henry Harrison read: "We have met the enemy and they are ours: two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." American casualties numbered 27 killed and 96 wounded, while the British suffered 41 killed and 94 wounded, with the rest captured. This victory gave the United States uncontested control of Lake Erie, cutting off British supply lines and forcing their retreat from the region.
The payoff was immediate and profound. With naval superiority secured, General Harrison launched an offensive to retake Detroit. He pursued the retreating British and their Native American allies, led by the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh, into Canada. On October 5, 1813, at the Battle of the Thames, Harrison's forces crushed the enemy. Tecumseh was killed, shattering the Native confederacy that had allied with the British. This not only reclaimed Detroit but also ended major threats in the Northwest, paving the way for American settlement and statehood in the region.
Perry and Harrison became national heroes, credited with saving the Midwest. Harrison would later become the ninth President of the United States, though his term was tragically short. The Battle of Lake Erie ensured that the Old Northwest remained American territory, preventing British claims that could have altered the course of Manifest Destiny. In particular, the Western Reserve—a tract of land in Northeast Ohio granted to Connecticut after the Revolution—stayed under U.S. control. Settlers from New England brought their values: town squares, public schools, and a fervent abolitionist spirit that shaped cities like Cleveland, Toledo, Akron, and Youngstown. The fertile soils, Great Lakes waters, and industrial potential of the region fueled America's growth, all because of that fateful day on the lake.
Yet, Perry shunned personal fame. He died young in 1819 at age 34 from yellow fever while on a diplomatic mission in South America. His legacy, however, endures as a testament to American resilience. In a war where Washington, D.C. was burned and New England flirted with secession, Perry's victory proved that ordinary citizens—carpenters like Noah Brown, frontier sailors, and diverse volunteers—could defeat the world's preeminent naval power. It was a morale booster for a nation on the brink, showing that determination and ingenuity could overcome overwhelming odds.
We must also remember the human cost. The battle and its aftermath devastated Native American communities. Tecumseh's death marked the end of a powerful resistance against American expansion, leading to further displacement and loss of ancestral lands. The War of 1812 was a time of national turmoil, with divided loyalties and suffering on all sides. Amid the chaos, Perry's stand on Lake Erie reminds us of the fragile threads that weave our history.
This Thanksgiving, as we gather around tables laden with abundance, let's toast to the young captain who refused to give up the ship. Raise a glass to those who fought alongside him and to the enduring spirit of ordinary Americans who made the impossible possible. In the words of Perry's flag, they didn't give up—and because of them, we have much to be thankful for today.
