Risk in the Anglo-Atlantic World: The American Ship John Jay, the HMS Driver, and the Napoleonic Wars

Using the experiences of the American ship, John Jay, and the British warship HMS Driver, this book recounts the various hazards faced by U.S. neutral trade vessels during the Napoleonic Wars. The John Jay’s sixth voyage (1804-1806) serves as a conduit to examine political and legal issues faced by United States neutral vessels navigating uncertain seas made worse by the volatility of the Napoleonic Wars.While the Driver and the John Jay reflected their respective nation’s perspectives and identity, together they illustrate the ambiguities of the times in which they sailed.Their actions, and the consequences of those actions, intentional and unintentional, represented continuity in the Anglo-Atlantic.Situating the ship within the larger geopolitical world, Catherine Osborne DeCesare traces the history of the John Jay to demonstrate how Americans were impacted by the natural hazards of wind, weather, and water; by the economic difficulties of maritime trade during wartime; and by the co