The Constitution defeats the Java...
Item # 714861
February 20, 1813
NILES' WEEKLY REGISTER, Baltimore, Feb. 20, 1813
* USS Constitution - William Bainbridge
* HMS Java - Henry Lambert
The prime feature would be the nice account of the naval battle between the U.S.S. Constitution and the Java, a victory for the American ship.
The article is headed: "Splendid Naval Victory, by the Frigate Constitution, commodore Bainbridge" with the text beginning: "We have been obligingly favored by major Robert Carr...with the following interesting account of another splendid naval victory..." and what follows is a detailed account of the battle, carrying over to the following page. This is followed by other military reports concerning the War of 1812.
Also of interest in this issue is a printing of George Washington's farewell address to the people of the United States, taking all of pages 1, 2 and 3, continuing in a future issue. This was his address from 1796.
Other items include: "Yazoo Claims" "Proceedings of Congress" "Annoyance of the Enemy" "Events of the War" "The Non-Importation Law" among other items.
Sixteen pages, 6 1/4 by 9 3/4 inches, very nice condition.
Background: The February 20, 1813, issue of Niles' Weekly Register serves as a profound historical time capsule, capturing a critical moment of national vulnerability and ideological forging during the War of 1812. The detailed account of the USS Constitution’s victory over the HMS Java was not merely news; it was vital psychological fuel for a young republic reeling from devastating land defeats, reinforcing the legendary status of "Old Ironsides" and proving that the fledgling American Navy could match the global titan of British maritime hegemony. By juxtaposing this raw, contemporary military triumph against a multi-page reprinting of George Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address, the publication strategically anchored modern wartime anxieties within the foundational bedrock of American identity. Reminding a highly fractured, partisan public of Washington’s stern warnings against domestic political factionalism and permanent foreign entanglements served as a deliberate editorial plea for national unity. When viewed alongside the ongoing "Yazoo Claims" debates—which spotlighted the domestic, institutional struggles over Western expansion, corruption, and federal law—this specific issue beautifully illustrates a nation simultaneously fighting for its sovereignty on the global stage while actively wrestling with the legal, moral, and political frameworks that would define its future.
As noted in Wikipedia, this title: "...(was) one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States...Devoted primarily to politics...considered an important source for the history of the period."
* USS Constitution - William Bainbridge
* HMS Java - Henry Lambert
The prime feature would be the nice account of the naval battle between the U.S.S. Constitution and the Java, a victory for the American ship.
The article is headed: "Splendid Naval Victory, by the Frigate Constitution, commodore Bainbridge" with the text beginning: "We have been obligingly favored by major Robert Carr...with the following interesting account of another splendid naval victory..." and what follows is a detailed account of the battle, carrying over to the following page. This is followed by other military reports concerning the War of 1812.
Also of interest in this issue is a printing of George Washington's farewell address to the people of the United States, taking all of pages 1, 2 and 3, continuing in a future issue. This was his address from 1796.
Other items include: "Yazoo Claims" "Proceedings of Congress" "Annoyance of the Enemy" "Events of the War" "The Non-Importation Law" among other items.
Sixteen pages, 6 1/4 by 9 3/4 inches, very nice condition.
Background: The February 20, 1813, issue of Niles' Weekly Register serves as a profound historical time capsule, capturing a critical moment of national vulnerability and ideological forging during the War of 1812. The detailed account of the USS Constitution’s victory over the HMS Java was not merely news; it was vital psychological fuel for a young republic reeling from devastating land defeats, reinforcing the legendary status of "Old Ironsides" and proving that the fledgling American Navy could match the global titan of British maritime hegemony. By juxtaposing this raw, contemporary military triumph against a multi-page reprinting of George Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address, the publication strategically anchored modern wartime anxieties within the foundational bedrock of American identity. Reminding a highly fractured, partisan public of Washington’s stern warnings against domestic political factionalism and permanent foreign entanglements served as a deliberate editorial plea for national unity. When viewed alongside the ongoing "Yazoo Claims" debates—which spotlighted the domestic, institutional struggles over Western expansion, corruption, and federal law—this specific issue beautifully illustrates a nation simultaneously fighting for its sovereignty on the global stage while actively wrestling with the legal, moral, and political frameworks that would define its future.
As noted in Wikipedia, this title: "...(was) one of the most widely-circulated magazines in the United States...Devoted primarily to politics...considered an important source for the history of the period."
Category: Pre-Civil War
