Conflicts, Battles, & Vendettas

Did you know?

• The Sedition Act decreed any newspaper editor or other man publicly spoke ill of Congress or President, he could be fined or imprisoned.
• The French took revenge on the US for not helping them fight the English that they captured more than 100 US vessels.
• The US government paid one million dollars to pirates to leave US vessels and citizens alone.
• When the US destroyed the pirates shipping the Pope said that the US had done more in 13 years to end piracy than all of Europe had done in 300 years.
• American Consulate paid $27,000 to keep himself and family from being sold into slavery.
• The British seized over 400 US vessels trading with France.
• The US Navy consisted of 12 warships and the British had a thousand warships.
• After Aaron Burr fatally shot Alexander Hamilton (former Vice President) he tried to seize New Orleans to make it the capital of his kingdom.
• Two girls faked out British soldiers by playing a fife and drum as if it came from approaching soldiers.
• Dolly Madison saved the Declaration of Independence destruction by British soldiers.
• The Battle of New Orleans peace treaty was signed before the battle began, but since the armies had no way to know the battle was fought anyway.
• Until Gettysburg it looked as if the South would win the war.
• The South's main warship, the Merrimac, was a Northern warship seized at the Norfolk navy yard.

Did you know that the US government paid terrorist $1 million dollars to leave US vessels alone? In fact European countries were doing the same thing. They were terrorist, but back then they were called pirates. They held hostages for ransom and destroyed ships if a ‘tribute’ wasn’t paid.

Today, when America is engaged in military conflict it means combat somewhere off American shores. During the period between signing the Constitution and the Civil War, America had a great number of conflicts with Britain, France, Spain, and Native Americans, most of which took place on American soil. Any one of the battles could have easily changed America, as we know it today.

There were also notable conflicts between individuals. Most notable was the duel between Aaron Burr and once Vice President Alexander Hamilton. What you may not know is after the duel Burr went to New Orleans to set himself up as King in his own kingdom.

There were also two brave girls who prevented a battle by playing a fife (flute) and drum in a way that made advancing British soldiers think that Revolutionary soldiers were rapidly approaching.

Perhaps no other period of history had more to do with the shaping of America than the Civil War. At the beginning the South was winning and the North kept replacing Generals, thinking that it was a management problem. And to a point they were right.