The great sea battle between the Constitution and the Java on Dec 29, 1812. It was clear and decisive victory for a vessel soon to be called "Old Ironsides"
The New York City newspaper called THE WAR was published from 1812 on as the United States and England were involved in a totally senseless war.
In many ways it was just a continuation of the revolutionary war. However, it proved to be a 3 year war of stalemates.
The news traveled slow in those days. So news from Europe would take a month or so to get to the United States. Since the battle between the ships took place off the coast of Brazil, it took even longer for the news to reach England and the United States. As you will notice the news paper is from June 23, 1813.
It has information is from England concerning the battle. Therefore, the news needed to go from the battle. Which would mean that the news would not be known in the USA till the Constitution reached home. Then the news of the battle went to Europe and the comments you see here were gained from comments in England. That process took nearly 6 months! Amazing when you think of today's Internet and the fact that nothing can happen anymore without the world knowing about about it in minutes!
Perhaps the best example of how long news took to travel. The War of 1812 ended on Christmas Eve 1814. Known as the Treaty of Ghent. However, the news did not reach the United States till well into January 1815. Perhaps one of the greatest battles of the War of 1812 took place in New Orleans in early January 1815. There was a massive loss of life to the British in that battle, and little did they know that both parties were at peace! Yet since the news did not arrive till weeks after, mass carnage took place after peace was declared.
The newspaper you can read here is the original from 1813, and it gives the official account of the capture of the Java. This weekly newspaper was published every Tuesday in New York by S. Woodworth and Company on 60 Vesey Str. NYC. It mentions that it is near the Bear Market as you will see on the original. This was a early market that sold various goods and wares. What is very interesting as well is that the structure where the paper was published and the headquarters for this Newspaper, was where the World Trade Center once stood. So where "The War" was published in 1812-1815, became the site of a new one in 2001.
Perhaps the building where it was published was torn down in the 1960's as they were preparing to build the twin towers.
The pictures can be enlarged so you can read history from its very pages. Enjoy this most rare document from the War of 1812. The story is on 2 pages. As it is nearly 200 years old it is dark, but mostly readable. Many times we read what others think and say about history. But it is always interesting to read the history when it was labeled a current event.
