Hallowed Heritage: The Life of VirginiaTorpey, Dorothy Margaret
History
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia
Torpey, Dorothy Margaret
Virginia -- Civilization
During the same year, Virginia made national headlines again when
the "Leopard-Chesapeake" Affair took place. France and Britain had
been having personnel problems with their navy crews, each accusing
the other of trying to encourage desertions. Britain had sent a
fleet over to Norfolk in an attempt to intercept some French ships
harbored in the Chesapeake Bay. One of the British ships had its
entire crew desert, and it was believed that they had dashed to
Norfolk and would be hiring out soon on a French or American ship.
The British captain of the fleet had been informed that these crew
members supposedly had enlisted on the "Chesapeake," a new American
naval vessel. A British vessel, the "Leopard," was ordered to search
the "Chesapeake" outside the jurisdiction of the United States.
Consequently, the "Leopard" followed the "Chesapeake" out beyond
Cape Henry and then demanded that the "Chesapeake" be searched
by British officers. When the "Chesapeake," under the command of
Commodore James Barron, denied having any deserters and refused
the right to search, the "Leopard" approached very closely the
"Chesapeake" and fired at it broadside. Three Americans were killed,
seventeen others wounded and four deserters were surprisingly found
aboard the "Chesapeake." Although many Americans clamored for
war as a result of this incident, Jefferson, who still preferred
peace, retaliated by having Congress pass the Embargo Act whereby
no American ship could depart for any foreign port. Jefferson
believed the lack of American exports would cause the countries of
Europe to cease the practice of impressment of American seamen. The
Americans, however, suffered more from this act than did the French
and the British; eventually, it was repealed and a law was passed
allowing American vessels to trade with any country except England
and France. By the end of Jefferson's administration, nevertheless,
the American people were very restless, and in some sections of
the country war was believed to be inevitable with England or with
France.
On March 4, 1809, Virginia had another one of her sons, James
Madison, inaugurated as President of the United States. He was born
in Port Conway, Virginia, and, after graduating from Princeton, he
had fought in the Revolutionary War. He had served in the state
legislature, had been a member of the Second Continental Congress,
had been a member of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia
where he had earned the title "Father of the Constitution of the
United States" and had contributed to the "Federalist" papers
encouraging the adoption of the Constitution. After serving in the
United States House of Representatives, he had retired from national
politics and had centered his interest upon state government
functions. He had written the "Virginia Resolutions" and had served
as United States Secretary of State at the request of President
Jefferson. Therefore, he came to the Presidency well prepared to
assume presidential duties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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