19th Century America's Most Influential Naval Officers: The Lives, Careers, and Battles of Stephen Decatur, Oliver Hazard Perry, David Farragut, David

*Includes pictures *Includes excerpts of contemporary accounts *Includes a table of contents "We have met the enemy and they are ours.” – Oliver Hazard Perry Americans had few things to celebrate during the Barbary Wars or the War of 1812, but one of them was the growing prestige of the U.S. Navy, and among those who were instrumental in its development, few were as influential as Stephen Decatur Jr. Decatur had an impact on nearly every war America fought in between the 1780s until his death in 1820, and his stardom ensured that he was a fixture among Washington, D.C.’s elite in his own lifetime. As with John Paul Jones during the American Revolution, Decatur’s activities helped instantly associate his name with the fledgling country’s success at sea. One of the only major victories the Americans won throughout the War of 1812 came at the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813, and that action made Oliver Hazard Perry, a veteran of the Barbary Wars and commander of the USS Lawrence,