Impressment and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

Impressment and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair The impressment of United States seamen from American ships by the British Royal Naval created serious friction between the United States and Britain. This tension was heightened by the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair in 1807 and was a major cause of the  War of 1812.   Impressment and the British Royal Navy Impressment denotes the forceful taking of men and placing them into a navy. It was done without notice and was commonly used by the British Royal Navy in order to crew their warships. The Royal Navy normally used it during wartime when not only British merchant sailors were â€Å"impressed† but also sailors from other countries. This practice was also known as â€Å"the press† or â€Å"press gang† and it was first used by the Royal Navy in 1664 at the onset of the Anglo-Dutch wars. Although most British citizens strongly disapproved of impressment as being unconstitutional because they were not subject to conscription for other military branches, the British courts upheld this practice. This was mainly due to the fact that naval power was vital to Britain maintaining its’ existence.   The HMS Leopard and the USS Chesapeake In June 1807, the British HMS Leopard opened fire on USS Chesapeake which was forced to surrender. British sailors then removed four men from the Chesapeake who had deserted from the British Navy. Only one of the four was a British citizen, with the three others being Americans who had been impressed into British naval service. Their impressment caused widespread public outrage in the U.S. At the time, the British, as well as most of Europe, were engaged in fighting the French in what is known as the Napoleonic Wars, with the battles starting in 1803. In 1806, a hurricane damaged two French warships, the Cybelle  and  Patriot, which made their way into Chesapeake Bay for necessary repairs so that they could make the return trip to France.   In 1807, the British Royal Navy had a number of ships, including the Melampus and the  Halifax, which were conducting a blockade off the United States coast in order to capture Cybelle and Patriot if they became seaworthy and left Chesapeake Bay, as well as prevent the French from obtaining much needed supplies from the U.S. Several men from the British ships deserted and sought the protection of the U.S. government. They had deserted near Portsmouth, Virginia, and made their way into the city where they were seen by naval officers from their respective ships. The British request that these deserters be handed over was completely ignored by local American authorities and enraged Vice Admiral George Cranfield Berkeley, the Commander of the British North American Station at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Four of the deserters, one of which was a British citizen - Jenkins Ratford – with the three others – William Ware, Daniel Martin, and John Strachan – being Americans who had been impressed into British naval service, enlisted in the U.S. Navy. They were stationed on the USS Chesapeake which just happened to be moored in Portsmouth and was about to embark on a trip to the Mediterranean Sea. Upon learning that Ratford had been bragging about his escape from the British custody, Vice Admiral Berkeley had issued an order that if a ship of the Royal Navy should find the  Chesapeake at sea, it was that ship’s duty to stop the Chesapeake and capture the deserters. The British were very intent on making an example of these deserters. On June 22, 1807, the Chesapeake left its’ port Chesapeake Bay and as it sailed past Cape Henry, Captain Salisbury Humphreys of the HMS Leopard sent a small boat to the  Chesapeake  and gave Commodore James Barron a copy of Admiral Berkeley orders that the deserters were to be arrested.   After Barron refused, the Leopard fired almost point blank seven cannon balls into the unprepared Chesapeake which was outgunned and therefore was forced to almost immediately surrender. The Chesapeake suffered several causalities during this very brief skirmish and in addition, the British took custody of the four deserters. The four deserters were taken to Halifax to be tried. The Chesapeake had suffered a fair amount of damage, but was able to return to Norfolk where the news of what had taken place quickly spread.   Once this news was made known throughout the United States which had very recently rid itself of British rule these further transgressions by the British was met with complete and total disdain.   American Reaction The American public was furious and demanded that the United States declare war against the British.   President Thomas Jefferson proclaimed that â€Å"Never since the Battle of Lexington have I seen this country in such a state of exasperation as at present, and even that did not produce such unanimity.† Although they were normally politically polar opposites, the Republican  and  Federalist parties were both aligned and it appeared that U.S. and Britain would soon be at war. However, President Jeffersons hands were tied militarily because the American army was small in number due to the Republicans desire to reduce government spending. In addition, the U.S. Navy was also quite small and most ships were deployed in the Mediterranean attempting to stop the Barbary pirates from destroying trade routes. President Jefferson was intentionally slow in taking action against the British knowing that the calls from war would subside – which they did. Instead of war, President Jefferson called for economic pressure against Britain with the result being the  Embargo Act. The Embargo Act proved to be highly unpopular with American merchant who had benefited for nearly a decade from the conflict between the British and the French, collecting large profits by conducting trade with both sides while maintaining neutrality. Aftermath In the end, the embargoes and economic did not work with the American merchants losing their shipping rights because Great Britain refused to make any concessions to the U.S. It seemed evident that only war would restore the United States autonomy in shipping. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain with a major reason being trade restrictions which had been imposed by the British. Commodore Barron was found guilty of â€Å"neglecting on the probability of an engagement, to clear his ship for action,† and was suspended from the U.S. Navy for five years without pay. On August 31, 1807, Ratford was convicted by court-martial for mutiny and desertion among other charges. He was sentenced to death the Royal Navy hanged him from a sail mast of the HMS  Halifax – the ship that he had escaped from looking for his freedom. While there is truly no way of knowing just how many American sailors were impressed into the Royal Navy, it is estimated that over one thousand men were impressed per year into the British service.

How to Self-Publish a Book in 2019 7 Steps to Bestselling Success

How to Self-Publish a Book in 2019 7 Steps to Bestselling Success How to Self-Publish a Book: 7 Simple Steps to Success Learning how to publish a book and getting your ideas into the world is easier than it’s ever been. There is a wealth of knowledge available online, shared by authors who have developed proven techniques for selling more books. There are also a number of ways new authors can get access to professional services without breaking the bank.In this post, Reedsy will share a common-sense, jargon-free approach to ascending the heights of the self-publishing world.A History of Self-PublishingHow to Get a Literary Agent for Your Book Read post So far, we’ve covered writing your book, editing and designing it, planning your launch, and growing your marketing efforts. You now have enough knowledge to actually go and self publish - assuming that your finances are in place...The Financial ImplicationsMoney is an obstacle that nearly all self-publishing authors will face at the start of their career. After all, they are solely responsible for funding everything to do with the book. That being said, it doesn’t always mean that the author needs to empty their savings account.The Cost of Self PublishingHere are two resources that can help you determine your costs and find alternate ways to cover them:How Much Does it Cost to Self Publish a Book? – Based on data pulled from the Reedsy marketplace, we’ve determined the average costs of book editing services and designing a book.Crowdfunding for Authors (Free Course) – Discover tips and hacks for running a crowdfunding campaign that will help fund your book’s production and boost your launch.The upside to all this, as we hinted at earlier, is that by bearing most of the costs, the self-publishing author also gets to enjoy most of the spoils.RoyaltiesTo give you an idea of the money you can expect to make from each copy sold, let’s look at the royalties offered to both independent and traditionally published authors.Author royalties on paperbacks:Traditionally published authors can expect around 5%.Indie authors will see 20-50% depending on printing costs.Author royalties on ebooks:Traditionally published authors tend to see 20-25% of net (after the retailer’s cut).Self-published authors enjoy up to 70% if their book is priced reasonably.This massive disparity is one of the reasons why J.K. Rowling has dipped her toes into self-publishing. The ebooks and audiobooks (great, incidentally, for road trips) of her Harry Potter series are now released by her own company, Pottermore, allowing her to take the publ isher’s share of sales as well  as the author's.Additional ResourcesKnowledge is power, and for indie authors, it’s also our greatest asset. There's plenty to learn when it comes to becoming a smart and efficient publisher, so as a send-off, here are a few more resources to help you on your way to the top of the bestseller charts:Scams and Publishing Companies to Avoid – Outlining the basic scams that await indie authors, including vanity presses.ISBN for Self Publishers: The Complete Guide – Everything (and more than) you wanted to know about International Standard Book Numbers.What is Ghostwriting? And Why Do People Turn to Ghostwriters? - An intro to the world of ghostwriting, including reasons why many indie authors employ their services.How To Copyright A Book: A Definitive Guide – Tackling a fear every author shares: having their intellectual property stolen!The journey to publishing a book can be treacherous, but if you prepare yourself a dequately, and surround yourself with the right people, it can also be one of the most satisfying challenges of your life.Do you have any thoughts or questions about how to self publish a book? Drop a comment in the box below and the folks at Reedsy will get back to you.