Perry Wins at Lake Erie: U.S. Controls Great Lakes
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry commanded a hastily built squadron of nine vessels against a British fleet of six ships on Lake Erie on September 10, 1813. Perry's flagship, the Lawrence, was battered into silence within two hours, but Perry personally rowed through enemy fire in an open boat to the undamaged Niagara and led a devastating counterattack that forced the entire British squadron to surrender. He dispatched his famous message to General William Henry Harrison: "We have met the enemy and they are ours." The victory gave the United States complete control of Lake Erie, severing British supply lines to Detroit and enabling Harrison's successful invasion of Upper Canada that recaptured the Michigan Territory.
September 10, 1813
213 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 10
Bishops across Visigothic Gaul gathered at the Council of Agde to codify forty-seven canons governing church discipline and clerical conduct. By standardizing r…
Pope Urban II convened seventy bishops and twelve abbots at the first synod in Melfi to enforce new church laws and mend ties with the Greek Orthodox Church. Th…
John the Fearless earned his nickname at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396, where his reckless cavalry charge contributed to a catastrophic crusader defeat. He su…
Constantinople in 1509 was still recovering from Ottoman conquest when the earth hit it with what survivors called 'The Lesser Judgment Day.' The earthquake — e…
Thomas Wolsey was the son of an Ipswich butcher who became the most powerful man in England after Henry VIII. His investiture as Cardinal in 1515 capped a rise …
English forces crushed the Scottish army at the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh, utilizing superior naval artillery and cavalry to secure a brutal victory. This rout fo…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.