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Lake Erie Heritage
Foundation

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The War on the Water: A War of 1812 Heritage Tour. The Ohio and the Lake Erie Region.

The Ohio and the Lake Erie Region

1812 Heritage Trail
Region Significance & Historical Context

 1813 Ohio-Region Battles:

  • Represented key American victories after a series of disheartening defeats
  •  Helped to turn the tide of the war in favor of the United States
  • Each offensive used major water-based initiatives
  • Maintaining or gaining control of the Lake Erie region waterways was crucial to victory

 Birth of the Modern U.S. Navy:

  • Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s victory on Lake Erie was key to an American invasion into Upper Canada.
  • Great Britain possessed the greatest navy in the world at the time of the war
  • During the Battle of Lake Erie, the U.S. Navy battled for and gained supremacy on Lake Erie