Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

officer from

South Kingstown, Rhode Island South Kingstown is a town in, and the county seat of, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 31,931 at the 2020 census. South Kingstown is the second largest town in Rhode Island by total geographic area, behind Ne ...

. A prominent member of the

Perry family The Perry family is an American naval and political dynasty from Rhode Island whose members have included several United States Navy, United States naval commanders, naval aviators, politicians, artists, clergymen, lawyers, physicians, and soci ...

naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain

Christopher Raymond Perry Christopher Raymond Perry (December 4, 1761 – June 1, 1818) was a United States Navy officer and judge who was appointed Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Washington County, Rhode Island, in 1780 and served until 1791. He was ...

, and older brother of

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a United States Navy officer who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He led the Perry Expedition that Bakumatsu, ended Japan' ...

. Perry served in the West Indies during the

Quasi War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

of 1798–1800 against France, in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

during the

Barbary Wars The Barbary Wars were a series of two wars fought by the United States, Sweden, and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Barbary states (including Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli) and Morocco of North Africa in the early 19th century. Sweden had bee ...

of 1801–1815, and in the

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

fighting piracy and the

slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

, but is most noted for his role in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

during the 1813

Battle of Lake Erie The Battle of Lake Erie, also known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, on Lake Erie off the shores of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of the British ...

. During the war against

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, Perry supervised the building of a fleet at

Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...

. He earned the title "Hero of

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( ) is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest avera ...

" for leading American forces in a decisive naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie, receiving a

Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...

and the

Thanks of Congress The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by United States, American military commanders and th ...

. White, 1895, p. 288 Bloom, Page essay His leadership materially aided the successful outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories, and the victory was a turning point in the battle for the west in the war. He is remembered for the words on his battle flag, "Dont Give Up the Ship", which was a tribute to the dying command of his colleague Captain

James Lawrence James Lawrence (October 1, 1781 – June 4, 1813) was an officer of the United States Navy. During the War of 1812, he commanded in a single-ship action against , commanded by Philip Broke. He is probably best known today for his last words, ...

of USS ''Chesapeake''. He is also known for his message to General

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was the ninth president of the United States, serving from March 4 to April 4, 1841, the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S. president to die in office, causin ...

which reads in part, "We have met the enemy and they are ours; ..." Perry became embroiled in a long-standing and bitter controversy with the commander of , Captain Jesse Elliott, over their conduct in the Battle of Lake Erie, and both were the subject of official charges. In 1815, he successfully commanded in the

during the

Second Barbary War The Second Barbary War, also known as the U.S.–Algerian War and the Algerine War, was a brief military conflict between the United States and the North African state of Algiers in 1815. Piracy had been rampant along the North African "Barb ...

. So seminal was his career that he was lionized in the press (being the subject of scores of books and articles). Paullin, 1918, See ''Bibliography'' He has been frequently memorialized, and many places, ships and persons have been named in his honor.

Childhood and early life

Perry was the oldest of five boys born to

Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...

(1761–1818) and Sarah Wallace Perry (née Alexander) (1763–1830). As a boy, Perry lived in Tower Hill, Rhode Island, sailing ships in anticipation of his future career as an officer in the United States Navy. Perry came from a long line of naval men from both sides of his family. His mother taught Perry and his younger brothers to read and write and had them attend Trinity Episcopal Church regularly, where he was baptized by Reverend William Smith on April 1, 1794, at the age of nine. Reverend Theodore Dehon, rector of the church from 1797 to 1810, had a significant influence on the young Perry. He was educated in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...

. His earliest ancestor to the Americas was Edward Perry, who came from

Devon Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, and settled in

Sandwich, Massachusetts Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States and is the oldest town on Cape Cod. The town motto is ''Post tot Naufracia Portus'', "after so many shipwrecks, a haven". The population was 20,259 at the 2020 census. Histor ...

, around 1650 with his wife, Mary Freeman.

Early naval career

Through his father's influence, Perry was appointed a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

in the United States Navy, at the age of thirteen, on April 7, 1799. Perry sailed aboard , of which his father was commanding officer, on her maiden voyage in June 1799. The ship made its first stop in

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

, charged with receiving American merchant ships and providing escort from

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center. Perry's service aboard ''General Greene'' continued during the

Quasi-War The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...

with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He first experienced combat on February 9, 1800, off the coast of the French colony of

Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...

, which was in a state of rebellion. During the

First Barbary War The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war ...

, he served aboard and later was

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...

(second in command) of . He then served under Captain John Rodgers on and USS ''Essex''. He was placed in charge of the construction of

gunboat A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies. History Pre-steam ...

s in Newport and

Westerly, Rhode Island Westerly is a New England town, town on the Coast, southwestern coastline of Washington County, Rhode Island, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States, first settled by English colonists in 1661, and incorporated as a List of municipalitie ...

. Beginning in April 1809, he commanded the sloop , engaging in patrol duties to enforce the Embargo Act, as well as a successful raid to regain an American ship held in Spanish territory in Florida. On January 9, 1811, ''Revenge'' ran aground off Rhode Island and was lost. "Seeing fairly quickly that he could not save the vessel, erryturned his attention to saving the crew, and after helping them down the ropes over the vessel's stern, he was the last to leave the vessel." The subsequent court-martial exonerated Perry, placing blame on the ship's pilot.His progression from being the subject of a

court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...

for running aground to being a formidable commander who made a real difference has a striking parallel to the career of Admiral

Chester W. Nimitz Chester William Nimitz (; 24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966) was a fleet admiral in the United States Navy. He played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, US Pacific Fleet, and Commander in Chief, ...

. In January 2011, a team of divers claimed to have discovered the remains of ''Revenge'', nearly 200 years to the day after it sank. Cannons from ''Revenge'' were salvaged by the U.S. Navy in 2017. Following the court-martial, Perry was given a leave of absence from the Navy. On May 5, 1811, he married Elizabeth Champlin Mason of Newport, Rhode Island, whom he had met at a dance in 1807. They enjoyed an extended honeymoon touring New England. The couple would eventually have five children, with one dying in infancy.

War of 1812

At the beginning of the War of 1812, the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

controlled the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Superior, Lake Michigan, Michigan, Lake Huron, H ...

, except for

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...

. The United States Navy controlled

Lake Champlain Lake Champlain ( ; , ) is a natural freshwater lake in North America. It mostly lies between the U.S. states of New York (state), New York and Vermont, but also extends north into the Canadian province of Quebec. The cities of Burlington, Ve ...

. The American naval forces were very small, allowing the British to make many advances in the Great Lakes and northern New York

waterways A waterway is any navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is necessary betw ...

. The roles played by commanders like Perry, at

and Isaac Chauncey at

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

and Thomas Macdonough at Lake Champlain all proved vital to the naval effort. Potter, 1981, p. 106 Naval historian E. B. Potter noted that "all naval officers of the day made a special study of Nelson's battles." Oliver Perry was no exception. At his request, he was given command of the American naval forces on Lake Erie during the war. Secretary of the Navy Paul Hamilton had charged prominent merchant seaman Daniel Dobbins with building the American fleet on Presque Isle Bay at

, and Perry was named chief naval officer. Perry knew battle was coming, and he "consciously followed Nelson's example in describing his battle plans to his captains." Perry's instructions were:

Hero of Lake Erie

On September 10, 1813, Perry's squadron fought the

against a smaller Royal Navy squadron. It was at the outset of this battle that Perry famously said, "If a victory is to be gained, I will gain it." Farmer, Silas. (1884) (Jul 1969) ''The history of Detroit and Michigan, or, The metropolis illustrated: a chronological cyclopaedia of the past and present: including a full record of territorial days in Michigan, and the annuals of Wayne County'', p. 283
an
Various formats at

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. Initially, the exchange of gunfire favored the British. Perry's

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

, , was so severely disabled in the encounter that the British commander, Robert Heriot Barclay, thought that Perry would surrender it, and sent a small boat to request that the American vessel pull down its flag. Dudley, William S., ed. ''The Naval War of 1812: A Documentary History. vol.2'' (Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 1992), p. 559. Faithful to the words of his battle flag, "DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP" a paraphrase of the dying words of Captain

, the ship's namesake and Perry's friend, Perry, with ''Lawrence''s

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

and

purser A purser is the person on a ship principally responsible for the handling of money on board. On modern merchant ships, the purser is the officer responsible for all administration (including the ship's cargo and passenger manifests) and supply. ...

as the remaining able crew, personally fired the final

salvo A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute. As a tactic in warfare, the intent is to cripple an enemy in many blows at once and prevent them from f ...

. He then had his men row him a half-mile (0.8 km) through heavy gunfire to transfer his command to . Once aboard, Perry dispatched ''Niagara'' commander, Captain Jesse Elliott, to bring the other schooners into closer action while he steered ''Niagara'' toward the damaged British ships. Like Nelson's at Trafalgar, ''Niagara'' broke the opposing line. Perry's force pounded Barclay's ships until they could offer no effective resistance and surrendered. Although he had won the battle aboard ''Niagara'', he received Barclay's surrender on the deck of the recaptured ''Lawrence'' to allow him to see the terrible price Perry's men had paid. Perry's battle report to General

was famously brief: "We have met the enemy and they are ours; two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." The six captured ships were successfully returned to Presque Isle. DONT GIVE UP THE SHIP flag

Although the engagement was small compared to Napoleonic naval battles such as the

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar was a naval engagement that took place on 21 October 1805 between the Royal Navy and a combined fleet of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish navies during the War of the Third Coalition. As part of Na ...

, the victory had disproportionate strategic importance, opening Canada up to further American invasions, while simultaneously protecting the entire

Ohio Valley The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its mouth on the Mississippi River in Cairo, ...

. The loss of Barclay's squadron directly led to the critical

Battle of the Thames The Battle of the Thames , also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was an American victory in the War of 1812 against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, British allies. It took place on October 5, 1813, ...

, a victory over British and Indian forces by Harrison's army, the deaths of

Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; (March 9, 1768October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the Territorial evolution of the United States, expansion of the United States onto Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

and

Roundhead Roundheads were the supporters of the Parliament of England during the English Civil War (1642–1651). Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I of England and his supporters, known as the Cavaliers or Royalists, who ...

, and the breakup of his confederacy. Along with the

Battle of Plattsburgh The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the United States during the War of 1812. Two British forces, an army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prévos ...

, it was one of only two battle of the war in which an entire squadron was defeated. Perry was involved in nine battles that led to and followed the Battle of Lake Erie, and they all had a seminal impact. "What is often overlooked when studying Perry is how his physical participation and brilliant strategic leadership influenced the outcomes of all nine Lake Erie military campaign victories:

Capturing
Fort George, Ontario Fort George was a military fortification in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The fort was used by the British Army, the Canadian militia, and the Jeffersonian democracy, Jeffersonian American Republic United States Army, Army for a brief per ...
in the Battle of Fort George; Destroying the British munitions at Olde Fort Erie (see Capture of Fort Erie); Rescuing five vessels from Black Rock; Building the Erie fleet; Getting the ships over the sandbar; Blocking British supplies for a month prior to battle; Planning the Thames invasion with General Harrison; Winning the Battle of Lake Erie; and Winning the Battle of Thames.

File:Men of Toledo (And Their Neighbors)" presented in cartoon with a historical preface from "official" data - DPLA - 0d0f8c371cbf6d8687013bd10d051e76 (page 18) (cropped).jpg, A caricature of Perry's victory on Lake Erie from the 1906 book "Men of Toledo (and Their Neighbors)"

The Battle Flag

"Dont give up the ship!" became the battle cry of Oliver Hazard Perry. The phrase was uttered by Captain James Lawrence as he died after being wounded by enemy fire aboard the ''Chesapeake'' on June 1, 1813. Perry learned of Lawrence's demise at Presque Isle. He honored Lawrence with the name of a brig, called ''Lawrence''. A battle flag was needed, and the words of Perry's good friend were suited for the coming days. Margaret Forster Steuart was enlisted to make the battle flag. She was a resident of Erie Pennsylvania, wife of Army Captain Thomas Steuart and sister to Thomas Forster, both friends of Perry's. Forster was the commander of the Erie Light Infantry that had guarded the fleet. With the help of her two daughters, three nieces, and a cousin, she had the flag ready for Perry within just a few days. As of July 2009, Perry's flag, Steuart's work, and Lawrence's dying words can be seen today, with the flag on display in

Bancroft Hall Bancroft Hall, at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Annapolis, Maryland, is said to be the largest contiguous set of academic dormitories in the U.S. Bancroft Hall, named after former United States Secretary of the Navy, U. ...

's Memorial Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

Perry–Elliott controversy

While Nelson had Collingwood, Perry had Jesse Elliott, and was considerably less well served. Elliott, while serving with Isaac Chauncey at Lake Ontario, was tasked to augment Perry's squadron with 11 officers and 91 men, "and none were sent but the worst."Quoted in Subsequently, detailed by Chauncey to command ''Niagara,'' Elliott stated "that if he could have foreseen that he himself should be sent to Lake Erie, his selections would have been different." Elliott then appropriated the "best of the worst" for ''Niagara''; and Perry "in the interest of harmony" accepted the situation, though with growing ill-will. In his initial post-action report, Perry had praised Captain Elliott's role in the American victory at Lake Erie; and as news of the battle spread, Perry and Elliott were both celebrated as national heroes. Soon after, however, several junior officers publicly criticized Elliott's performance during the battle, charging that Elliott allowed ''Lawrence'' to suffer the brunt of the British fire while holding ''Niagara'' back from the fight. William Vigneron Taylor, Perry's

sailing master The master, or sailing master, is a historical rank for a naval Officer (armed forces), officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing ship, sailing vessel. In the Royal Navy, the master was originally a warrant officer who ...

, in a letter to Taylor's wife, put it thus: The meeting between Elliott and Perry on the deck of ''Niagara'' was terse. Elliott inquired how the day was going. Perry replied, "Badly." Elliott then volunteered to take Perry's small boat and rally the schooners, and Perry acquiesced. As Perry turned ''Niagara'' into the battle, Elliott was not aboard. Elliott's rejoinder to history's criticism of inaction was that there had been a lack of effective signaling. Charges were filed, but not officially acted upon. Attempting to restore his honor, Elliott and his supporters began a 30-year campaign that would outlive both men and ultimately leave his reputation in tatters. In Perry's report to Secretary of the Navy William Jones, written three days after the battle, he mentioned Elliott in what, at first, seem to be complimentary terms, but, when read carefully, betray his disdain for Elliott. Perry wrote, "In this action he evinced his characteristic bravery and judgement; and, since the close of the action, has given me the most able and essential assistance."

Congressional Gold Medal

On January 6, 1814, Perry was honored with a

, the

, and a promotion to the rank of

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. This was one of 27 Gold Medals authorized by Congress arising from the War of 1812. * Obverse – bust of Perry facing right surrounded by ''Oliverus H. Perry Princeps Stagno Eriense.'' ~ ''Classam Totam Contudit''. * Reverse depicts a sea battle scene with inscriptions: ::''Viam Invenit Virtus Aut Facit'' ::''Inter Class. Ameri.'' ::''Et Brit Die X. Sep.'' ::''MDCCCXIII'' :(Valor finds or makes a way. Between the Fleets of America and Britain September 10, 1813.) Elliott was also recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal and the Thanks of Congress for his actions in the battle. This recognition would prove to fan the flames of resentment on both sides of the Elliott–Perry controversy. In recognition of his victory at Lake Erie, in 1813 Perry was elected as an honorary member of the New York

Society of the Cincinnati The Society of the Cincinnati is a lineage society, fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of milita ...

. File:Perry medal lg front.gif, The front of the Perry medal File:Perry medal back.gif, The back of the Perry medal

Later commands and controversies

In May 1814, Perry took command of a squadron of seven gunboats based in Newport. He held this command for only two months as in July he was placed in command of , a 44-gun frigate which was under construction in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. While overseeing the outfitting of ''Java'', Perry participated in the defenses of Baltimore and Washington, D.C., during the British invasion of the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. In a twist of irony, these land battles would be the last time the career naval officer saw combat. The

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

was ratified before ''Java'' could be put to sea. For Perry, the post-war years were marred by controversies. In 1815, he commanded ''Java'' in the

during the

. While moored in Naples, Perry slapped the commander of the ship's Marines, Captain John Heath, whom Perry charged with "disrespectful, insolent, and contemptuous conduct to me his superior officer". The ensuing court-martial found both men guilty, but levied only mild reprimands. After the crew returned home, Heath challenged Perry to a pistol

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the rapier and later the small sword), but beginning in ...

, which was fought on October 19, 1817, on the same field in

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located on the Hudson Waterfront and Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's po ...

where Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton. Heath fired first and missed. Perry declined to return fire, satisfying the Marine's honor. Perry's return from the Mediterranean also reignited the feud with Elliott. After an exchange of angry letters, Elliott challenged Perry to a duel, which Perry refused. (While it was normally considered cowardly to refuse a duel, Perry's stature as a hero was such that no one doubted his physical courage and few felt that Perry had wrongly offended Elliott's honor.) He instead, on August 8, 1818, filed formal court-martial charges against Elliott. Perry filed a total of six charges and twenty-one specifications including "conduct unbecoming an officer," and failure to "do his utmost to take or destroy the vessel of the enemy which it was his duty to encounter." Wishing to avoid a scandal between two decorated naval heroes, Secretary of the Navy

Smith Thompson Smith Thompson (January 17, 1768 – December 18, 1843) was a US Secretary of the Navy from 1819 to 1823 and a US Supreme Court Associate Justice from 1823 to his death. Early life and the law Born in Amenia, New York, Thompson graduated ...

and

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American Founding Father of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. He was the last Founding Father to serve as presiden ...

suppressed the matter by offering Perry a diplomatic mission to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

in exchange for dropping his charges. This put an official end to the controversy, though it would continue to be debated for another quarter century.

Mission to Venezuela and death

In 1818 Perry purchased a large house on Washington Square in Newport which was built in 1750 for merchant Peter Buloid. The house remained in the Perry family until 1865 and now serves as an antique bookstore. In 1819, Perry sailed for the

Orinoco River The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers approximately 1 million km2, with 65% of it in Venezuela and 35% in Colombia. It is the List of rivers by discharge, f ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

, aboard of the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

with the frigate and the schooner , arriving on July 15 to discourage piracy, while still maintaining friendly relations with

Republic of Venezuela The Republic of Venezuela, also sometimes referred to as the Fourth Republic of Venezuela, was a democratic republic first established in 1953, and replaced in 1999 by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Venezuela saw ten years of militar ...

and the Republic of Buenos Aires. Shifting his flag to USS ''Nonsuch'', due to its shallower draft, Perry sailed upriver to Angostura to negotiate an anti-piracy agreement with President

Simón Bolívar Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios (24July 178317December 1830) was a Venezuelan statesman and military officer who led what are currently the countries of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bol ...

. A favorable treaty was signed on August 11 with Vice President

Francisco Antonio Zea Juan Francisco Antonio Hilarión Zea Díaz (23 November 1766 – 28 November 1822) was a Neogranadine journalist, botanist, diplomat, politician, and statesman who served as Vice President of Colombia under then President Simón Bolívar. He w ...

in the absence of Bolivar (who was engaged in the liberation of New Granada), but when the schooner started downriver, many of her crew, including Perry, had been stricken with yellow fever. Despite the crew's efforts to reach

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

for medical assistance, the commodore died on board USS ''Nonsuch'' on August 23, 1819, his 34th birthday, as the ship entered the

Gulf of Paria The Gulf of Paria ( ; ) is a shallow ( at its deepest) semi-enclosed inland sea located between the island of Trinidad and the east coast of Venezuela. It separates the two countries by as little as at its narrowest and at its widest points. T ...

and was nearing

Port of Spain Port of Spain ( ; Trinidadian and Tobagonian English, Trinidadian English: ''Port ah Spain'' ) is the capital and chief port of Trinidad and Tobago. With a municipal population of 49,867 (2017), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient dail ...

. He was buried in

. His remains were later taken back to the United States in 1826 and interred in Newport, Rhode Island. Originally interred in the Old Common Burial Ground, his body was eventually moved to Newport's

Island Cemetery The Common Burying Ground and Island Cemetery are a pair of separate cemeteries on Farewell and Warner Street in Newport, Rhode Island. Together they contain over 5,000 graves, including a colonial-era slave cemetery and Jewish graves. The pai ...

. Perry Street in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, is named in his honor.

Family

Perry married Elizabeth Champlin Mason in 1811. They had five children, four of whom lived to maturity. They were: # Brigadier General Christopher Grant Champlin Perry, RIM (April 2, 1812 – April 5, 1854), commander of the Artillery Company of Newport from 1845 to 1854, m. Murial Frances Sergeant of Philadelphia (great-granddaughter of

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

); their daughter Margaret Mason Perry married the artist

John LaFarge John La Farge (March 31, 1835 – November 14, 1910) was an American artist whose career spanned illustration, murals, interior design, painting, and popular books on his Asian travels and other art-related topics. La Farge made stained glass ...

; # Oliver Hazard Perry II (February 23, 1813 – March 4, 1814), died in infancy; # Lieutenant Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr., USN (February 23, 1815 – August 20, 1878), m. 1) Elizabeth Ann Randolph (1816–1847) (Virginia Randolph family) and m. 2) Mary Ann Moseley; # First Lieutenant Christopher Raymond Perry, USA (June 29, 1816 – October 8, 1848), never married; # Elizabeth Mason Perry, m., as his 2nd wife, the Reverend Francis Vinton, rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Newport. Perry's son Christopher Grant Champlin Perry was a physician, and served as commander of the Artillery Company of Newport from April 1848 until his death in 1854. In May 1849 he was commissioned as a brigadier general in the Rhode Island Militia and given command of the 1st Brigade encompassing Newport and Bristol Counties. Perry's son Oliver Hazard Perry, Jr. entered the Navy as a midshipman in 1829, rose to the rank of lieutenant and resigned in 1849. He served on the

United States Exploring Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

under Captain

Charles Wilkes Charles Wilkes (April 3, 1798 – February 8, 1877) was an American naval officer, ship's captain, and List of explorers, explorer. He led the United States Exploring Expedition (1838–1842). During the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865 ...

from 1839 to 1842. Although he is buried in the same cemetery as his parents, for unknown reasons, he is not buried in the same plot with his parents. Perry's son Christopher Raymond Perry graduated from the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...

at West Point in 1842. He served during the Mexican War and fought at the Battle of Palo Alto on May 8, 1846, and at the Battle of Resaca-de‑la‑Palma on May 9, 1846. He died on active duty as a 1st lieutenant in 1848.

Dates of rank

* Midshipman – April 7, 1799 * Lieutenant – January 15, 1807 * Master Commandant – August 28, 1812 * Captain – September 10, 1813 Although Perry is often referred to as "Commodore Perry," it should be kept in mind that, prior to the American Civil War,

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

was not a rank in the U.S. Navy but, rather, the title of an officer in command of a squadron of two or more ships. Perry first held the title of commodore when he took command of the Lake Erie squadron in 1813.

Assignments

* Midshipman, USS ''General Greene'' – April 1799 to May 1801 * Acting Lieutenant, USS ''Adams'' – June 1802 to November 1803 * Second Lieutenant, USS ''Constellation'' – May 1804 to July 1805 * First Lieutenant, USS ''Nautilus'' – July 1805 to December 1805 * Acting Lieutenant, USS ''Constitution'' – December 1805 to c. July 1806 * Second Lieutenant, USS ''Essex'' – c. July 1806 to c. October 1806 * Officer in Charge of Gunboat construction in Newport and Westerly, RI – October 1806 to April 1809 * Commanding Officer, USS ''Revenge'' – April 1809 to January 1811 * Commanding Officer, Gunboat Squadron, Newport, RI – c. 1811 to January 1813 * Commanding Officer, Lake Erie Squadron – March 1813 to c. October 1813 * Commanding Officer, Gunboat squadron, Newport, RI – May 1814 to July 1814 * Commanding Officer, USS ''Java'' (under construction) – July 1814 to August 1815 * Commanding Officer, USS ''Java'' (in commission) – August 1815 to c. May 1817 * Senior Naval Officer, Newport, RI – c. May 1817 to May 1819 * Commanding Officer, Venezuelan diplomatic mission – June 1819 to August 1819 (deceased) Note – Time gaps between assignments were probably in a "waiting orders" status.

Geographical namesakes

Many locations in the United States are named in his honor, including: *Perry Traditional Academy, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Perrysville Avenue (Old Rt. 19 connection), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Perry North (Observatory Hill) and Perry South (Perry Hilltop) neighborhoods on the Northside section in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania * Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School, Cleveland, Ohio * Perry Elementary School, Erie, Pennsylvania * P.S. 34 Oliver H. Perry Elementary School, Brooklyn, New York * Commodore Perry School District, including Perry Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania * Oliver Hazard Perry Middle School, Providence, Rhode Island * Oliver Hazard Perry Elementary School, San Diego, California * Training Ship ''Oliver Hazard Perry'', Newport, Rhode Island * All of the ten Perry counties in the U.S. * Perryville and

Perry County, Missouri Perry County is a county located in the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 18,956. Its county seat is Perryville. The county was officially organized on November 16, 1820 (effectiv ...

* The hamlet of Perrysburg and the surrounding township; and the Village of Perry, New York and the surrounding township * The city of Perry, Michigan in Perry Township * The city of

Perry, Georgia Perry is a city in Houston County, Georgia, Houston and Peach County, Georgia, Peach counties in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat of Houston County. The population was 13,839 at the 2010 census, up from 9,60 ...

* The town of Perry, Maine * The village of Perry, Illinois * The cities of Perrysburg, Perrysville, North Perry and

Perry Perry or pear cider is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears, traditionally in England (particularly Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire), parts of South Wales, France (especially Normandy and Anjou), Canada, Austral ...

; Perrysburg Township; and

Perry County, Ohio Perry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,408. Its county seat is New Lexington. It was established on March 1, 1818, from parts of Fairfield, Washington and Muskingum countie ...

* The unincorporated hamlet of South Perry in Perry Township, Hocking County, Ohio * Perry Township, between Canton and Massillon in Stark County, Ohio. The local high school is also named in his honor. * The borough of Perryopolis and Oliver Township, within Perry County, and Oliver Township and Perry Township in

Jefferson County, Pennsylvania Jefferson County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,492. Its county seat is Brookville. The county was established on March 26, 1804, from part of Lycoming County and later organiz ...

* The village of Perryville in the town of

The portion of U.S. Route 1 near Perryville is named the Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Highway. Perry Street in Newport is also named after him. * The City of

Hazard A hazard is a potential source of harm. Substances, events, or circumstances can constitute hazards when their nature would potentially allow them to cause damage to health, life, property, or any other interest of value. The probability of that ...

in Perry County,

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

* Perry County, Tennessee * Perry Street, New York * Fort Perry in Box Springs, Georgia * Commodore Downs Thoroughbred race track in Fairview Township on the western edge of Erie, Pennsylvania (1973–1983). * The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland *An eastbound service plaza along the

Ohio Turnpike The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a controlled-access toll road in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor between Chicago and Pittsburgh. The road runs east–west for in the northern sect ...

is named the Commodore Perry Service Plaza, located in

Sandusky County, Ohio Sandusky County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 58,896. Its county seat and largest city is Fremont. The county was formed on February 12, 1820, from portions ...

* Perry Square,

Monuments

The national monument commemorating Perry is the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in the village

Put-In-Bay, Ohio Put-in-Bay is a Resort town, resort village located on South Bass Island in Put-in-Bay Township, Ohio, Put-in-Bay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, United States, west of Cleveland and east of Toledo, Ohio, Toledo. The population was 154 at the ...

on South Bass Island, Ohio. Its tower, the world's most massive Doric column, was constructed by a multi-state commission between 1912 and 1915. Other monuments include: * Memorial plaque, Trinity Episcopal Church,

, dedicated by Perry's widow on August 23, 1855, the 36th anniversary of his death. * Perry Monument,

Public Square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, monument and statue by William Walcutt, dedicated on September 10, 1860, the 47th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. Walcutt's marble statue was replaced with a bronze copy in 1929. The monument was relocated to Fort Huntington Park in 1991. ** Walcutt's marble Perry statue is on long-term loan to the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial. * ''

Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry (August 23, 1785 – August 23, 1819) was a United States Navy officer from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A prominent member of the Perry family naval dynasty, he was the son of Sarah Wallace Alexander and Captain Christo ...

'' by William Greene Turner, Eisenhower Park,

, dedicated September 10, 1885, the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie. * ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' by

Charles Henry Niehaus Charles Henry Niehaus (January 24, 1855 – June 19, 1935) was an American sculptor. Early life and education Niehaus was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, to German parents. He began working as a marble and wood carver, and then gained entrance to the ...

, Front Park,

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

, dedicated on September 25, 1916. * Perry Monument, Perry Square,

Paul Philippe Cret Paul Philippe Cret (October 23, 1876 – September 8, 1945) was a French-born Philadelphia architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he taught at a design studio in the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsyl ...

, 1925, features a bronze copy after William Greene Turner's 1885 statue. * Oliver Hazard Perry Memorial Gateway, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, dedicated April 1925. Captain Henry E. Lackey, the United States Navy representative at the dedication, arrived aboard the newly commissioned

light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to thi ...

. * Perry Monument at Misery Bay,

Presque Isle State Park Presque Isle State Park ( ) is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania State Park on an arching, sandy peninsula jutting into Lake Erie, west of the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, Erie, in Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania ...

dedicated in 1926. * ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' (bronze copy after William Walcutt), on the south front of the

Rhode Island State House The Rhode Island State House, the capitol of the state of Rhode Island, is located at 82 Smith Street just below the crest of Smith Hill, Providence, Rhode Island, Smith Hill, on the border of Downtown, Providence, Rhode Island, downtown in Prov ...

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

, dedicated in 1928. * Perry Monument,

Perrysburg, Ohio Perrysburg is a city located in Wood County, Ohio, United States, along the south side of the Maumee River. The population was 25,041 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Part of the Toledo metropolitan area, the city is southwest of To ...

, dedicated in 1997, features a bronze copy after William Walcutt's 1860 statue. * The reverse of the 2013 "Perry's Victory" quarter shows William Walcutt's statue of Perry (1860) with the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in the distance. * The family farm in South Kingstown, where Perry was probably born and later built a house, was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1982. * A larger than life portrait of Commodore Perry hangs in the Executive Chamber of the

. File:Perrys Monument 2012.jpg, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (1912–1915), Put-In-Bay, Ohio on South Bass Island File:Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial Vistor's Center.jpg, ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' (1860), by William Walcutt, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial File:Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry Statue, Eisenhower Park, Newport, RI.JPG, ''Oliver Hazard Perry'' (1885), by William Greene Turner, Newport, Rhode Island File:Perry Monument - Presque Isle, PA.jpg, Perry Monument (1926), Presque Isle, Erie, Pennsylvania File:Rhode Island State House Perry AD.jpg, Perry statue (1928), Rhode Island State House

Paintings

* "Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry" (1818–1828) by

Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-k ...

and Jane Stuart,

Toledo Museum of Art The Toledo Museum of Art is an internationally known art museum located in the Old West End neighborhood of Toledo, Ohio. It houses a collection of more than 30,000 objects. With 45 galleries, it covers 280,000 square feet and is currently in th ...

, Toledo, Ohio * ''Perry's Victory on Lake Erie'' (1865) by

William Henry Powell William Henry Powell (February 14, 1823 – October 6, 1879), was an American artist who was born and died in New York City. Powell is known for a painting of the Battle of Lake Erie, of which one copy hangs in the Ohio state capitol building ...

, Rotunda,

Ohio Statehouse The Ohio Statehouse is the List of state and territorial capitols in the United States, state capitol building and seat of government for the U.S. state of Ohio. The Greek Revival building is located on Capitol Square in Downtown Columbus, Ohio, ...

, Columbus, Ohio. Dimensions: . * ''Battle of Lake Erie'' (1873) by William Henry Powell,

United States Capitol The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the Seat of government, seat of the United States Congress, the United States Congress, legislative branch of the Federal government of the United States, federal g ...

, Washington D.C. Dimensions: . * ''Portrait of Oliver Hazard Perry'' (1900), by Gari Melchers, Executive Chamber, Rhode Island State House * ''Battle of Lake Erie'' ( 1911) by Edward Percy Moran * ''Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813'' (1959), by Charles Robert Patterson and Howard B. French,

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (USNA, Navy, or Annapolis) is a United States Service academies, federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as United States Secre ...

, Annapolis, Maryland

Documentary

In 2016, principal photography began on ''We Have Met the Enemy'', a feature-length documentary produced by Lou Reda ('' Vietnam in HD'', '' The Blue and the Gray''), for a planned spring 2017 release.

Eponymous ships

Commodore Perry has been repeatedly honored with ships bearing his name. * , a sailing

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

1843–1865 * , an armed side-wheel ferry built in 1859 by Stack and Joyce, Williamsburg, New York and purchased by the Navy on October 2, 1861; and commissioned later in the month, Acting Master F. J. Thomas was in command * , a (1900–1919) * , a converted into a high-speed

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

and re-designated DMS–17 effective November 19, 1940. Served 1921–1944; sunk in

Battle of Peleliu The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II by the United States Armed Forces, US military, was fought between the United States and Empire of Japan, Japan during the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign of World War II, from 15 Septe ...

. * SS ''Oliver Hazard Perry'', a

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

. See List of Liberty ships (M–R). * , a (1945–1970) * , a guided-missile

(1976–1997), and the s, of which it was a member, are named in his honor. The Navy built 51 of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, with the first going into service in 1977, and the last to be finally moth-balled in 2015. ''See also'' USS Perry. * SSV ''Oliver Hazard Perry'', a Rhode Island Educational Foundation

tall ship A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigging, rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a r ...

Popular song

In 1820, Anthony Philip Heinrich wrote a song, "Ode to the Memory of Commodore O. H. Perry","Ode to the Memory of Commodore O. H. Perry"
/ref> with words by Henry C. Lewis.

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

Bibliography

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External links

Perry @ the National Park Service

(See Further reading, Pauilin, supra.)
The Oliver Hazard Perry papers
William L. Clements Library.
"Log of the Battle of Lake Erie"
by

Sailing Master The master, or sailing master, is a historical rank for a naval Officer (armed forces), officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing ship, sailing vessel. In the Royal Navy, the master was originally a warrant officer who ...

William Taylor.
US Brig ''Niagara''

Commodore Perry I.P.A.
an
Tasting guide, Commodore Perry
India Pale Ale by Great Lakes Brewing Co. *
Perry Monument, Buffalo Historical Markers and Monuments website

at Dartmouth Digital Library * {{DEFAULTSORT:Perry, Oliver Hazard 1785 births 1819 deaths 19th-century American naval officers United States Navy personnel of the War of 1812 Congressional Gold Medal recipients American people of English descent Military personnel from Newport, Rhode Island People from Rhode Island in the War of 1812 People from South Kingstown, Rhode Island Oliver Hazard United States Navy admirals United States Navy commodores United States Navy ship names American duellists