Changes

In 1811 he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason.  

In 1811 he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason.  

==War of 1812==

==War of 1812==

Perry returned to active duty in May of 1812 when the threat of a war with [[Britain]] was looming. He was appointed to the position of master-commandant. One month later, Congress declared war on Britain, beginning the [[War of 1812]], and Perry took was put in command of a 12 gunboat fleet based at Newport, [[Rhode Island]] and New London, [[Connecticut]]. The job was not active enough for Perry's tastes however and he was on his request redeployed on February 1813 to Great Lakes, where both sides were engaged in a construiction race to build fleets to control the lakes.  

Perry returned to active duty in May of 1812 when the threat of a war with [[Britain]] was looming. He was appointed to the position of master-commandant. One month later, Congress declared war on Britain, beginning the [[War of 1812]], and Perry was put in command of a 12 gunboat fleet based at Newport, [[Rhode Island]] and New London, [[Connecticut]]. The job was not active enough for Perry's tastes however and he was on his request redeployed on February 1813 to Great Lakes, where both sides were engaged in a construction race to build fleets to control the lakes.  

===Lake Erie===

===Lake Erie===

Perry was deployed to Erie, Pennsylvania in March 1813 with the rank of Master Commandant.  His assignment was building brigs from scratch; he worked with Noah Brown, an expert shipbuilder, to get the job done quickly. By July 1813,  six warships were ready; they were soon joined by six more from Buffalo, [[New York]].

Perry was deployed to Erie, Pennsylvania in March 1813 with the rank of Master Commandant.  His assignment was building brigs from scratch; he worked with Noah Brown, an expert shipbuilder, to get the job done quickly. By July 1813,  six warships were ready; they were soon joined by six more from Buffalo, [[New York]].

Meanwhile in March 1813, Secretary of War John Armstrong sent Captain Thomas Sidney Jesup to Cleveland to construct troop transports. Jesup built 77 transports with an overall capacity of three to four thousand men. After Perry took control of the lakes these transports were used by U.S. troops led by Harrison to invade Canada, forcing the British army to flee. Harrison caught up with the British and decisively defeated them and their Indian allies at the [[Battle of the Thames]]. The British were no longer able to supply hostile Indians. The Americans thus achieved one of the main goals of the war, ending the menace of Indian raids in the Northwest (what is now called the Midwest).

Meanwhile in March 1813, Secretary of War John Armstrong sent Captain Thomas Sidney Jesup to Cleveland to construct troop transports. Jesup built 77 transports with an overall capacity of three to four thousand men. After Perry took control of the lakes these transports were used by U.S. troops led by Harrison to invade Canada, forcing the British army to flee. Harrison caught up with the British and decisively defeated them and their Indian allies at the [[Battle of the Thames]]. The British were no longer able to supply hostile Indians. The Americans thus achieved one of the main goals of the war, ending the menace of Indian raids in the Northwest (what is now called the Midwest).

====Dispute with Elliott====

====Dispute with Elliott====

Historians in the dispute between Perry and Jesse Duncan Elliott have sided with Perry and dismissed Elliott's claims to distinction in the battle of Lake Erie, depicting Elliott as demented and narcissistic; however, these characterizations are overblown. Although Perry's written account of the battle for the Secretary of the Navy extolled Elliott, his second in command, for his bravery, judgment, and assistance, the relationship between the two men soured when Perry obtained a letter written by Elliott criticizing Perry's account of the battle and castigating Perry's leadership ability. Elliott exacerbated the rift by coercing naval officers who served in the engagement to write favorable accounts of his behavior. Upon Elliott's promotion to Master Commandant in 1818, Perry initiated federal proceedings against Elliott but eventually agreed with President Monroe's decision to let court martial charges die in 1819. Perry rejected a challenge to a duel. While Elliott was a deceitful, vindictive, vainglorious man, he was not emotionally unstable. His behavior was characteristic of a society that stressed the defense of honor and was given to rhetorical exaggeration. While his contemporaries saw him for what he was, no one questioned his mental stability.<Ref> Lawrence J. Friedman and David Curtis Skaggs, "Jesse Duncan Elliott and the Battle of Lake Erie: The Issue of Mental Stability." ''Journal of the Early Republic'' 1990 10(4): 493-516. 0275-1275 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3123625  in JSTOR]</Ref>  

Historians in the dispute between Perry and Jesse Duncan Elliott have sided with Perry and dismissed Elliott's claims to distinction in the battle of Lake Erie, depicting Elliott as demented and narcissistic; however, these characterizations are overblown. Although Perry's written account of the battle for the Secretary of the Navy extolled Elliott, his second in command, for his bravery, judgment, and assistance, the relationship between the two men soured when Perry obtained a letter written by Elliott criticizing Perry's account of the battle and castigating Perry's leadership ability. Elliott exacerbated the rift by coercing naval officers who served in the engagement to write favorable accounts of his behavior. Upon Elliott's promotion to Master Commandant in 1818, Perry initiated federal proceedings against Elliott but eventually agreed with President Monroe's decision to let court martial charges die in 1819. Perry rejected a challenge to a duel. While Elliott was a deceitful, vindictive, vainglorious man, he was not emotionally unstable. His behavior was characteristic of a society that stressed the defense of honor and was given to rhetorical exaggeration. While his contemporaries saw him for what he was, no one questioned his mental stability.<Ref> Lawrence J. Friedman and David Curtis Skaggs, "Jesse Duncan Elliott and the Battle of Lake Erie: The Issue of Mental Stability." ''Journal of the Early Republic'' 1990 10(4): 493-516. 0275-1275 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3123625  in JSTOR]</Ref>

 

==Later career==

==Later career==

After the victory, in July of 1814, Perry was put in command of the then in construction, 44-gun frigate ''Java''. In 1815, the ''Java'' was deployed to the [[Mediterranean]] to deal with problems caused by Barbary pirates. Perry confronted his marine commander; they fought a bloodless duel.  President [[James Monroe]] put Perry in charge of a diplomatic mission to [[South America]]. Perry contracted [[Yellow Fever]] and died at the age of 34. In 1826, his remains were moved to Newport, [[Rhode Island]] where a monument honors his service to his country.

After the victory, in July of 1814, Perry was put in command of the then in construction, 44-gun frigate ''Java''. In 1815, the ''Java'' was deployed to the [[Mediterranean]] to deal with problems caused by Barbary pirates. Perry confronted his marine commander; they fought a bloodless duel.  President [[James Monroe]] put Perry in charge of a diplomatic mission to [[South America]]. Perry contracted [[Yellow Fever]] and died at the age of 34. In 1826, his remains were moved to Newport, [[Rhode Island]] where a monument honors his service to his country.