Fighting Sail on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay: The War of 1812 and Its Aftermath

Canadian Barry Gough's new work makes an important and long-awaited contribution to our understanding of the struggle for domination in the Upper Great Lakes and the American heartland during the War of 1812. A critical time for both the old northwest and the peoples who lived along the U.S.-Canadian border, it was also a time when the territories that became Wisconsin and Minnesota were formed, the fur trade was established, and the Indian nations attempted to preserve both their homeland and their independence. It is a unique study in that it goes far beyond the Battle of Lake Erie, where traditional historical accounts end, adding new chapters to the history of Detroit and Michilimackinac.

This comprehensive, chronological account exposes the reader not only to the naval and territorial consequences of the era but also to the plight along the way. It is the story of shipbuilding, of the limits of sea power, and of the men and women who succeeded in traversing unknown water and land. The author details such events as Commodore Arthur Sinclair's disastrous U.S. naval expedition to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay in 1814 and describes how British forces captured unsuspecting U.S. naval schooners. Supplemented with excellent maps and illustrations, the text also provides information about hydrographic surveying and the search for useful naval bases. This book will appeal to everyone interested in the age of fighting sail, Native American history, and early American naval pursuits.