“The Americans Build Their Ships Much Faster Than We Do”: Archaeological Comparison of United States and Royal Navy Building on the Lakes, 1812–15

2015 marks the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812’s conclusion. The conflict is famed for the accelerated shipbuilding campaigns on the lakes between the U.S. and Canada, campaigns that culminated in decisive battles on Lake Erie in 1813 and Lake Champlain in 1814. The historical record of the construction activity is thin and in many cases non-existent, but three decades of archaeological research on the remains of 1812-era vessels has greatly expanded our understanding of the work carried out on both sides of the border. This paper will describe, compare, and offer possible reasons for the pronounced differences in design philosophy and workmanship evident in U.S. and Royal Navy vessels of all classes built for service in the freshwater naval squadrons.