TFSmith121
Banned
If the conflict lasts well into 1815, presumably
If the conflict lasts well into 1815, presumably the Americans take advantage of Napoleon's resumption of power and the expected British focus on Europe.
Sometime that year, based simply on what was under construction, the US would end up with two ships of the line, three large frigates, and a half-dozen smaller corvettes, sloops, and brigs, plus the expected small craft; the British would end up with 1-3 ships of the line, 1-3 frigates, a half-dozen smaller vessels - manning for all of which would be difficult. The British flag officer would be Edward Owen (Yeo was being relieved because of his conflicts with Prevost); the Americans could, presumably, have chosen between Chauncey, MacDonough, or Perry.
There's also the minor issue that the Americans were already building steam warships by 1815, and, in fact, the first steamer on the Lakes was built at Oswego in 1816.
The point being in all of the above is that whatever the British might do on the Lakes (Ontario or any other) in 1815 presumably is going to be countered by the Americans, or even - in the case of steamers - perhaps surmounted. The time, distance, and resource equation in a conflict in North America is all in the US favor, certainly on Champlain, Ontario, Erie, and points west.
Best,
Ya which is why in OTL it all came to nothing. Indeed by 1818 both sides had committed to completely demilitarizing the Great Lakes. But you had to wonder that if the war had dragged on another year and both sides had multiple battleships and a handful of frigates each, that one or the other side wouldn't be willing to just sit in port and glare at the enemy from across the lake.
If Ghent is never signed I could see the US gaining back the initiative after the British invasions at the Chesapeake and New Orleans are repelled. In this situation another attack on York and then Kingston seems the logical step and that would necessitate engaging the British fleet on Lake Ontario. If the US could seize control of Kingston and Lake Ontario then they would have a dominant position and Montreal would now be extremely vulnerable.
If the conflict lasts well into 1815, presumably the Americans take advantage of Napoleon's resumption of power and the expected British focus on Europe.
Sometime that year, based simply on what was under construction, the US would end up with two ships of the line, three large frigates, and a half-dozen smaller corvettes, sloops, and brigs, plus the expected small craft; the British would end up with 1-3 ships of the line, 1-3 frigates, a half-dozen smaller vessels - manning for all of which would be difficult. The British flag officer would be Edward Owen (Yeo was being relieved because of his conflicts with Prevost); the Americans could, presumably, have chosen between Chauncey, MacDonough, or Perry.
There's also the minor issue that the Americans were already building steam warships by 1815, and, in fact, the first steamer on the Lakes was built at Oswego in 1816.
The point being in all of the above is that whatever the British might do on the Lakes (Ontario or any other) in 1815 presumably is going to be countered by the Americans, or even - in the case of steamers - perhaps surmounted. The time, distance, and resource equation in a conflict in North America is all in the US favor, certainly on Champlain, Ontario, Erie, and points west.
Best,