Next year starts the beginning of a three-year observance of the
War of 1812 and September 10, 2013 is the bicentennial of
Commodore Perry’s decisive victory over the British. Ohio was a
crucial part of this American story of independence and Put-in-
Bay was the focal point for the turning point in this Lake Erie
(Ohio) story. While other locations, like Fort Meigs (near
Perrysburg), had critical roles in the war, Put-in-Bay was the
launch point for Commodore Perry’s effort to defeat the British,
and the turning point in the War of 1812. Amazingly, the War of
1812 is mostly just a brief footnote in our children’s history
lessons about the Revolutionary War. But unlike the Revolution,
the War of 1812 gave the US standing among our allies as a
country to reckon with, to finally be able to defend ourselves
and ensure and preserve the hard fought independence we gained
30 years before. The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes over looked
in some scholarly accounts of the war, was the first successful
defense of our coun