During the War of 1812, the British again attempted to use Lake Champlain as an invasion route into the United States. Both American and British naval commands constructed large vessels in an effort to gain superiority for the impending battle. On 11 September, a British fleet rounded Cumberland Head and engaged the anchored American line in a bloody contest that lasted for more than two hours. American Commodore Thomas MacDonough’s superior battle position and ability to turn his fleet at anchor and present a fresh broadside led to a decisive American victory. When the British fleet surrendered, British land forces realized their efforts to invade the United States had failed and returned to Canada. The Treaty of Ghent negotiated a close to the war three months later.
