By November, word had reached London that the Americans had purchased Louisiana from France. King George III flew into a rage. Parliament had, in May that year, declared war on France (Great Britain was also at war with France from 1793 to 1802), and the king had a few weeks earlier had reviewed the London volunteers at Hyde Park. The king was at the center of great national swelling of patriotism; he was the symbol of resistance to France. Because of this, Albion’s purchase of Louisiana from France was taken as a personal affront. “Betrayed by my own brother,” he shouted; “they’ve gone and sided with Bonaparte!” The next day, Albion’s ambassador to Great Britain, William Murray, who had been informed of the purchase upon its ratification by Congress, endured a two hour tongue lashing by the king. Speaking later with Chancellor Adams about the meeting, he said, “If I had a dollar for every time I said ‘yes your majesty’, ‘no your majesty’ and ‘I understand your majesty’ that afternoon, I would be a very wealthy man.”
Many in Parliament viewed the Louisiana Purchase as a violation of the terms of the Treaty of Free Association as it gave a financial boost it gave France at the expense of Britain and put the foreign policy of Albion at variance with that of Great Britain. War between Great Britain and Albion was a real possibility. On March 7, 1804 a resolution was passed giving Albion an ultimatum, declare war on and join the coalition against France or else Great Britain would consider Albion to be an ally of France and declare war on her. When Murray arrived in Americus with the ultimatum, the king, surprised by the strength of Britain’s response to the purchase, had little choice but to tell Chancellor Adams to request a declaration of war from Congress. Two days after presenting the situation to Congress, June 4, 1804, war was declared on France. Ambassador Livingston was recalled from France and Albion joined the British coalition. Concerning the ramifications of the Louisiana Purchase, Livingston wrote in his memoirs (published after his death), “Never did I imagine that the Louisiana Purchase would result in Albion becoming an active participant in the European wars. I surmised that, at most, diplomatic relations would be strained for a while and that Great Britain would exact some financial concessions form our government to counterbalance the boost the purchase gave to France’s ship building abilities.”
Two ships of the line, “St. Lawrence” and “Chesapeake”, three frigates, “Constellation”, “Congress” and “Intrepid”, two sloops and ten gunboats, along with their crews (totaling over 5,000 men) departed on September 30, 1804 for England, where they would join with the British fleet. Napoleon was amused by Albion’s entry into the war. He derided the British King for “dragging his little brother along into battle.” On December 12, Spain declared war on Great Britain. American Ambassador Charles Pinckney, who had been instrumental in securing Spain’s acceptance of the Louisiana Purchase a year earlier from France, was informed by the King of Spain that Albish ships supporting or joining the British navy in battle would be considered enemy combatants and fired upon.
Albion’s navy participated with the British fleet under Admiral Calder in the Battle of Cape Finisterre, off the Spanish coast on July 22, 1805. Their objective was to block the joint French-Spanish fleet, under Admiral Villeneuve, which was attempting to enter the English Channel in advance of Napoleon’s planned invasion of England. After a pitched battle, the French-Spanish fleet was repulsed. Twenty British-Albish ships had engaged twenty French-Spanish ships and captured two of Spain’s. British-Albish losses were 42 officers and men killed and 181 wounded. French-Spanish losses were 476 officers and men killed and wounded. The Albish public, King Edward and the Royal Cabinet considered the encounter a heroic victory. The British public and Admiralty did not see it that way. Calder was relieved of his command, court-martialled, and sentenced to be severely reprimanded for his failure to seek decisive action during the battle. He never served at sea again. Napoleon, for his part, was frustrated by the results. He considered the battle a grave defeat and realized that his dream of invading England had evaporated.
The French-Spanish fleet returned to Cadiz and remained there until October before emerging. A squadren from the British-Albish fleet subsequently caught at defeated them in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21. Twenty-nine British-Albish Ships of the line and 10 others met thirty-three French-Spanish ships of the line and eight others west of Cape Trafalgar in one of the more pivotal battles in 19th Century naval warfare. Twenty-two French-Spanish ships were captured and one destroyed; 7,000 soldiers were captured, 3,243 were killed and almost 2,000 were wounded. No British-Albish ships were lost; 482 men were killed and approxamatly 1,300 were wounded. Ambish Navy Captain Stephen Decatur demonstrated bravery and skill throughout battle. After the war, he would be awarded the Order of the Eastern Star by King Edward. The British commander, Lord Nelson, employed daring tactics throughout the battle and never missed or squandered an advantage. Nelson was killed in the battle, but became, and remains, one of Britain’s greatest naval war heros. A great victory was achieved that day on accouint of his actions and the readiness for battle exhibited by Decatur and thousands like him throughout the British-Ambish fleet.
Many in Parliament viewed the Louisiana Purchase as a violation of the terms of the Treaty of Free Association as it gave a financial boost it gave France at the expense of Britain and put the foreign policy of Albion at variance with that of Great Britain. War between Great Britain and Albion was a real possibility. On March 7, 1804 a resolution was passed giving Albion an ultimatum, declare war on and join the coalition against France or else Great Britain would consider Albion to be an ally of France and declare war on her. When Murray arrived in Americus with the ultimatum, the king, surprised by the strength of Britain’s response to the purchase, had little choice but to tell Chancellor Adams to request a declaration of war from Congress. Two days after presenting the situation to Congress, June 4, 1804, war was declared on France. Ambassador Livingston was recalled from France and Albion joined the British coalition. Concerning the ramifications of the Louisiana Purchase, Livingston wrote in his memoirs (published after his death), “Never did I imagine that the Louisiana Purchase would result in Albion becoming an active participant in the European wars. I surmised that, at most, diplomatic relations would be strained for a while and that Great Britain would exact some financial concessions form our government to counterbalance the boost the purchase gave to France’s ship building abilities.”
Two ships of the line, “St. Lawrence” and “Chesapeake”, three frigates, “Constellation”, “Congress” and “Intrepid”, two sloops and ten gunboats, along with their crews (totaling over 5,000 men) departed on September 30, 1804 for England, where they would join with the British fleet. Napoleon was amused by Albion’s entry into the war. He derided the British King for “dragging his little brother along into battle.” On December 12, Spain declared war on Great Britain. American Ambassador Charles Pinckney, who had been instrumental in securing Spain’s acceptance of the Louisiana Purchase a year earlier from France, was informed by the King of Spain that Albish ships supporting or joining the British navy in battle would be considered enemy combatants and fired upon.
Albion’s navy participated with the British fleet under Admiral Calder in the Battle of Cape Finisterre, off the Spanish coast on July 22, 1805. Their objective was to block the joint French-Spanish fleet, under Admiral Villeneuve, which was attempting to enter the English Channel in advance of Napoleon’s planned invasion of England. After a pitched battle, the French-Spanish fleet was repulsed. Twenty British-Albish ships had engaged twenty French-Spanish ships and captured two of Spain’s. British-Albish losses were 42 officers and men killed and 181 wounded. French-Spanish losses were 476 officers and men killed and wounded. The Albish public, King Edward and the Royal Cabinet considered the encounter a heroic victory. The British public and Admiralty did not see it that way. Calder was relieved of his command, court-martialled, and sentenced to be severely reprimanded for his failure to seek decisive action during the battle. He never served at sea again. Napoleon, for his part, was frustrated by the results. He considered the battle a grave defeat and realized that his dream of invading England had evaporated.
The French-Spanish fleet returned to Cadiz and remained there until October before emerging. A squadren from the British-Albish fleet subsequently caught at defeated them in the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21. Twenty-nine British-Albish Ships of the line and 10 others met thirty-three French-Spanish ships of the line and eight others west of Cape Trafalgar in one of the more pivotal battles in 19th Century naval warfare. Twenty-two French-Spanish ships were captured and one destroyed; 7,000 soldiers were captured, 3,243 were killed and almost 2,000 were wounded. No British-Albish ships were lost; 482 men were killed and approxamatly 1,300 were wounded. Ambish Navy Captain Stephen Decatur demonstrated bravery and skill throughout battle. After the war, he would be awarded the Order of the Eastern Star by King Edward. The British commander, Lord Nelson, employed daring tactics throughout the battle and never missed or squandered an advantage. Nelson was killed in the battle, but became, and remains, one of Britain’s greatest naval war heros. A great victory was achieved that day on accouint of his actions and the readiness for battle exhibited by Decatur and thousands like him throughout the British-Ambish fleet.
