great lakes

10 Things You Should Know About The Civil War & The Great Lakes

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 1 Comment

Unless you live near them, the Great Lakes probably aren’t on your mind. That’s unfortunate because these huge bodies of water in the north eastern part of the United States – along the Canadian border – have been the scenes of many historic moments in American History.

There’s an idea that the American Civil War wasn’t fought in the North. And – generally speaking – that’s mostly true. However, there were plenty of riots, local disturbances, sabotage attempts, and other violent issues in the “Union” states. And Confederates caused disturbances around the Great Lakes.

Today – to provide some historical back-up to some plot points in Lighthouse Loyalty – we’ve rounded up ten basic things you should know about the Civil War on the Great Lakes. Continue reading →

A Dozen Facts You Should Know About The War Of 1812

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 8 Comments

19th-century-american-maritimeThe loss of its colonies frustrated Britain. After-all, those 13 American colonies had been a major source of income for the mother country. Now, the United States wanted to trade and make money (and complete) with Britain, and that wasn’t a preferred situation for the English merchants. The Napoleonic Wars in Europe further complicated maritime interests for America.

Irritations grew on both sides and eventually erupted into the War of 1812. This conflict – primarily rooted in maritime interests – allowed the new U.S. Navy to test its strength and the outcome would establish America as a rising world power, setting the stage for the continued rise of maritime trade and strength.

Since the War of 1812 is incredibly important to understanding the success of American Maritime during the 19th Century, we thought we’d share the top 12 things you should know about the conflict. Continue reading →