Event record · naval
off Boston, Massachusetts · Atlantic
Shannon captures Chesapeake
1 June 1813
A British frigate wins a close action; James Lawrence's last command becomes an American motto.
Participants
- USS Chesapeake
- HMS Shannon
- James Lawrence
- Philip Broke
Outcome
Shannon captured Chesapeake after a short, lethal engagement.
Why it matters
The reversal checked the simple triumphal story created by American frigate victories in 1812.
Location evidence
42.390, -70.550 · regional precision
Coordinates locate the named site, city, or broad region; they do not reconstruct unit movements.
Where it sits in the story
This record belongs to a connected military, political, and human sequence. The chapter supplies causes, consequences, competing perspectives, and the limits of the surviving evidence.
Follow the evidence
Evidence behind this event
- War of 1812Naval History and Heritage Command · naval history
Atlantic, lake, Chesapeake, and Pacific naval operations.