While America was having these troubles with the Barbary States, France
and England were still at war. Commerce all over the world was affected,
and in some cases almost destroyed by this long war.
The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, had forbidden all vessels of
other nations to enter British ports. The English, in turn, said that
no vessel should enter a port of France, or of any country belonging to
France.
But the Americans had to endure still further injuries from the English.
British war vessels claimed the right to stop American ships on the sea,
search them, and carry off American sailors, claiming them as deserters
from the English navy.
The French could not do this; for no American sailor could be accused of
being a runaway Frenchman.
In 1807, an event took place which nearly led to war.
The British frigate _Leopard_, cruising along the coast, hailed the
American frigate _Chesapeake_, and demanded permission to search the
ship.
The captain of the _Chesapeake_ refused. Without a word of warning, the
_Leopard_ fired into the _Chesapeake_, killing and wounding more than
twenty men.
The American captain had not dreamed of such an outrage. His vessel had
just put to sea and everything was in confusion. He did not even have a
gun in condition to return the fire. So he lowered his flag and
surrendered.
The officers of the _Leopard_ then came on board and carried off four
men from the crew.
The United States would have declared war at once if England had not
apologized.
The President, at this time, was Thomas Jefferson. He was a man of
peace. He called a session of Congress to see if the trouble could not
be settled without war.
As a result of this session, a law was passed known as the Embargo Act.
By this law, no vessel was allowed to sail from the United States to any
foreign country.
In order to enforce the law, Congress ordered a number of gunboats to be
built. These were to sail up and down the coast, and prevent any vessel
from entering or leaving the ports.
Lieutenant Perry was ordered to superintend the building of a fleet of
these gunboats at Newport. After they were built, he was put in command
of them, and ordered to patrol Long Island Sound.
At this time, the government wanted a map of the harbors in the
neighborhood of Newport. On account of his standing as a seaman, and of
his education, Lieutenant Perry was selected to visit the harbors and
make such a map.
He was given a fast sailing schooner called the _Revenge_. While
carrying on this work, he was one day returning from Newport to New
London, when a dense fog came on. The _Revenge_ struck upon a reef of
rocks, and went to pieces.
By great efforts Lieutenant Perry was able to save, not only all the
crew, but the sails, rigging, and cannon.
He then went to Washington to explain the loss of the _Revenge_ to the
navy department. It was made clear that it was the fault of the local
pilot who had charge of the vessel at the time.
Lieutenant Perry was commended for his gallant conduct in this disaster,
and was also granted a year's leave of absence. He went to Newport, and
on May 5, 1811, he was married to Elizabeth Champlin Mason.
The young couple took a wedding journey through New England. They spent
one day in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Perry was much interested
in visiting the place where his Quaker ancestor had lived so many years
before.
During this time, the people of the United States had learned that the
Embargo Act was a very unwise law. The men of Congress had thought to
injure France and England by thus refusing to trade with them
altogether. They soon discovered, however, that the damage to American
commerce was far greater.
Trading vessels in the ports were left standing idle at the wharves,
while the sailors were forced to find other employment.
[Illustration: JAMES MADISON.]
All over the country, there arose a bitter feeling against this law. In
the New England states, where there were the largest shipping interests,
there was even talk of secession from the Union.
About this time a new President, James Madison, was elected. Soon
afterward the Embargo Act was repealed, and in its place was passed a
law which satisfied the people for a time. By this law, trade was
allowed with every country but England and France.
American vessels now put to sea on voyages to foreign lands. But their
old enemies, the English, soon began to annoy them as before.
In May, 1811, the British sloop _Little Belt_ was hailed by the American
frigate _President_, under the command of Commodore Rodgers. The reply
was a cannon shot. The _President_ then poured broadsides into the
_Little Belt_. After the English had lost thirty-two men in killed and
wounded, they came to terms.
[Illustration: COMMODORE JOHN RODGERS.]
The American people now saw that war could no longer be avoided. On June
18, 1812, the formal declaration was made.