The Modern Era saw great change in naval technology and warfare. The period saw the creation of explosive shells, iron-clad ships, steam-powered vessels, and more. Dramatic advances like these created considerable shifts in global political and economic power.
The political scene in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries can best be described by one word: revolutionary. It was a time not only for the revolution of people, but the revolution of ideas, with the birth of romanticism and nationalism. Indeed, the great shifts of political power of this era made a stable, strong navy a crucial factor of a regime’s longevity.
A Depiction of a British Ship of the Line at the Battle of Trafalgar
(Turner, The Battle of Trafalgar)
Prior to the second half of the 19th century, the premiere style of western warships was little different from the galleons of the Early Modern Era. Perhaps the paragon of 18th and early 19th century shipbuilding was the British ship of the line. A first-rate ship of the line could be equipped with over 100 guns, and a crew of 700-850 (Konstam 6). These British vessels would play a key role in the large naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars.
The Battle of Trafalgar, during the War of the Third Coalition, marked an important turning point, not only in naval warfare, but in the political scene of the world. On October 21, 1805, 27 British ships of the line under the command of Admiral Lord Nelson defeated Napoleon’s 41-ship French and Spanish fleet. Their victory played a significant role in the development of the Napoleonic wars and the American War of 1812. Not only did the victory affirm Britain’s role as the world’s foremost seapower, the destruction caused to the French fleet was key in the...
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...rner, Joseph Mallord William, RA. The Battle of Trafalgar. 1824. Oil on canvas. National Maritime Museum, London.
The Iron-Coated French Frigate La Gloire. 1861. London. The Illustrated London News. Vol. 38. London, 1861. 227. Print. Ser. 1078.
Belcher, Edward, KBC. Attack on First Bar Battery, Canton River. 1843. Narrative round the World Performed in Her Majesty’s Ship Sulphur during the Years 1836-184. Vol. 2. 1843. 154. Print.
"British Blockade of France: 1805." Lermuseum.org. The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Perdue, Peter C. "The First Opium War: The Anglo-Chinese War of 1839-1842: Hostilities." MIT: Visualizing Cultures. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2014.
"1750-1919: China and the West: Imperialism, Opium, and Self-Strengthening (1800-1921)." Afe.easia.columbia.edu. Columbia University, 2009. Web. 22 Jan. 2014.
The Early Modern Era saw great change in the field of naval technology. Exploration and the desire to expand trade fueled the development of new, more effective naval vessels. These vessels, in turn, contributed to the growth of worldwide trade and interconnection that marked the period.
...” ((Spicer THE AGE OF SAIL 88). The demand for ships was just beginning when Troop became to build his fleet, as two were later acquired in the 1840s and a subsequent eight in the 1850s (Spicer THE AGE OF SAIL 90). These ships varied in size, caring anywhere from 300 tons to 1200 tons depending on their make. The Troops development helped to create and support the Golden Age of Shipbuilding as “the demand for ships [was] said to be greater than [had] ever been known to [the] builders” (Spicer THE AGE OF SAIL 91) of the time. The fleet was developing at a time where they could capitalize at the expense of others. One of the reasons for the high growth rates was the decline in the American fleet in the 1860s and 1870s and resulting in opportunities for Canadian vessels in American export trades (Sager and Fisher 27) as a result of the Crimean and American Civil wars.
At the end of the eighteenth century, China’s goods were much desired by Britain. However, the Chinese saw Europeans as savages and did not want to trade with them. During trade, there was an imbalance in China’s favor, because the Europeans were forced to buy Chinese goods using silver. The Western Imperialists began to grow opium poppies from in India, and then smuggle them into China. China soon became addicted to the drug and spent most of it’s money on the purchase of it from the Europeans and Americans. This shifted the balance of power to be in Europe’s favor.
Navy started building a squadron of gunboats and two frigates in the remote town of Erie, on the shores of Lake Erie. It was an odd choice, given that there were no access roads, no foundries, rope factories or shipwrights nearby. But the area’s dense forests provided the critical resource – tall straight timbers for planking and masts. In fact, the timber resources in North America were one of the several reasons that Britain wished to hold on to the Canadian provinces. Timber on the British Isles was all but gone – any new ships for the Royal Navy would be fashioned out of New World wood. Not surprisingly, British shipwrights were also busy building ships on the Great Lakes, in Amherstburg and Kingston,
Perrett, B. (1991). LAST STAND! Famous Battles Against The Odds. London: Arms and Armour Press.
Field, Frank. British and French Operations of the First World War. Cambridge (England); New York: Cambridge University Press, 1991.
In June of 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain for several reasons, the primary of which was the impressment of U.S. Sailors on the high seas for use in the British Navy. Once declared, the United States, under President John Madison, took the initiative and conducted a series of attacks into Canada resulting in the burning of government buildings. The British eventually repelled the attacks and took to the offensive striking at America and setting Washington D.C. ablaze in the summer of 1814. By the time the battle of New Orleans takes place in January of 1815, the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed signaling the official end to the war, however, the speed of trans-Atlantic communication proved too slow to prevent this last battle in the War of 1812. The battle of New Orleans has Major General Andrew Jackson lead U.S. Army regulars, New Orleans citizens, and militiamen from various surrounding states to repel the attacks of British General Edward Pakenham and the infantry troops he commanded (War of 1812, 2012). A series of poor decisions by the British coupled with terrain obstacles, technology and the ability to seize the initiative contributed to their defeat on 8 January 1815. This paper will examine the battle preparations and maneuvers that led to the British defeat and highlight some of the key factors in deciding the outcome of the battle.
The War of 1812 was a war in which the United States took on Great Britain, the most powerful nation in the world, for the first time since the American revolution. The conflict, which would have an enormous impact on the future of the country, officially ended on February 17th, 1815, with the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent. The end of the war of 1812 gave rise to a desire for unity among Americans and a strong sense of national pride; this time in American history was labeled as the Era of Good Feelings. There were several factors that led to the start of the war including British attempts to restrict American trade with France who they were at war with; the Royal Navy’s forceful recruitment of American seamen; Britain’s
Ebrey, Patricia , Anne Walthall, and James Palais. "The Age of Western Imperialism." Modern East Asia From 1600. Second Edition ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. 295-367. Print.
Ancient world civilizations always had, or still have, a tendency to place themselves at the center, or superior position. One of the biggest civilizations to do so is China, being the biggest trading post in the world at one time. One country that wanted to trade with China more than anyone else was Great Britain. British men wanted one thing, tea. But unfortunately the British didn’t have anything in return worth trading, so the idea of selling opium to Chinese men for silver and then giving the silver back to China as a trade deal came alive. The opium started to cause a social problem in China, causing Commissioner Lin (Lin Zexu) to write a letter to Queen Victoria in 1839, to fix the issue. In this letter, it is present that Commissioner Lin is sinophilic, and proves that China believes they are the center of every. Context clues of the words, “the Central land” being used multiple times in ways that put China on top of the world.
Allingham,, Philip V. "England and China: The Opium Wars, 1839-60." The Victorian Web: An Overview. 24 June 2006. Web. 06 Apr. 2011.
Gunpowder’s effect on the world can be exemplified through the grand changes in weapons. This can be shown through the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588 by the English navy. In this sea battle, the Spanish Armada outnumbered the English navy immensely turning the odds against the English. However, the Spanish Armada still used old boarding tactics while the English used advanced weaponry. In the end, “the English used their superior firepower to whittle away the Spanish forces” (Schlager). The English navy's victory over the Spanish Armada illustrates the effects of the invention of gunpowder. With the successful usage of advanced gunpowder based weapons, the English navy crushed the opposition even when the Spanish Armada clearly had the upper hand. The defeat of the Spanish Armada shows that weapons based on gunpowder allowed countries with smaller armies to have a higher chance in winning their fights. The gunpowder weapons proved to be a tactical advant...
This statement begins to expose the fear felt by Britain of the imposing German fleet. Due to the militaristic views of Europe, many countries desired to have more power and control, by any means possible. This hunger initiated the Naval Arms Race, in which nations believed as one country increased its naval powers, they too were obliged to increase their armed forces, to maintain a balance of power. The British had dominated the seas and many far off colonies because of their naval fleet, granting them immense power. As the Germans began to propose a new and vast naval fleet, and France and Russia formed a new alliance sparking suspicion in Britain, Germany quickly became a threat to British supremacy. This created a chain reaction of stressed importance upon naval arme...
To the normal Chinese man during the early 19th century, opium was nothing more than a luxury that only those of higher power or influence could indulge themselves in. Yet by the middle of the 19th century opium had become a commodity that everyone could have and that at the same time they seemed to need. Even though it was now such a big part of the normal chinese culture, it did not benefit the people nor Chinese culture, it did not benefit the people or the government. The only benefit it did seem to have was towards the British. The British were flourishing from the new Chinese market for opium, where the Chinese were beginning to turn into addicts of a drug that was slowly poisoning their way of life. The people no longer were concerned about their advancement and safety of their family but about how and when they would be able to get more opium. The Chinese government was not pleased about this and decided to take a stand that would, in the long run, only damage the very people they were trying to protect. This stand came to be known as the First Opium War (1839-1842). By the end of the First Opium War China had begun to lose its sense of identity through the use of treaties and encroachment of foreign countries, starting with the British and their Treaty of Nanking.
The Campaign of 1812 should have been a another crusade for Napoleon, but he now faced 2 new policies that he had never faced before, the severe Russian winter and the notorious scorched-earth policy. On June 23, 1812 Napoleon's Grande Armee, over 500,000 men strong, poured over the Russian border. An equal amount of Russian forces awaited them. The result of the campaign was a surprise. Two authors, General carl von Clausewitz and Brett James, show similarities in reasons why Napoleon had lost this campaign to Russia.