Early Republic

Battle of Lake Erie

War of 1812
Pennsylvania
Date
War of 1812
Location
Pennsylvania
Type
battle

What happened

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry built a squadron at Erie, Pennsylvania and defeated a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie, earning the title 'Hero of Lake Erie.'

People involved

When this happened

Battle of Lake Erie occurred in War of 1812, during the early republic period of American history.

Where this happened

Battle of Lake Erie took place in Pennsylvania. Explore the full history of Pennsylvania and primary source records from this era.

Historical context — Early Republic

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Source

Content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia: War of 1812.

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This page covers Battle of Lake Erie. A full Aubrey report on Pennsylvania pulls together this event alongside land records, conflicts, and everything else the historical record holds about the area:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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About Battle of Lake Erie

What was Battle of Lake Erie?
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry built a squadron at Erie, Pennsylvania and defeated a British squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie, earning the title 'Hero of Lake Erie.'
When did Battle of Lake Erie happen?
Battle of Lake Erie occurred in War of 1812.
Where did Battle of Lake Erie take place?
Battle of Lake Erie took place in Pennsylvania.

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