They did not give up their effort to secure the world's trade--that was never an American method of procedure.

But they built their ships so as to be able to run away from anything they might meet; and they manned and armed them so as to fight if fighting became necessary.

So the American merchantman became a long, sharp, clipper-built craft that could show her heels to almost anything afloat; moderate of draft, so that she could run into lagoons and bays where no warship could follow.

They mounted from four to twelve guns, and carried an armory of rifles and cutlasses which their men were well trained to handle.

Accordingly, when the depredations of foreign nations became such as could not longer be borne, and after President Jefferson's plan of punishing Europe for interfering with our commerce by laying an embargo which kept our ships at home had failed, war was declared with England; and from every port on the Atlantic seaboard privateers--ships as fit for their purpose as though specially built for it--swarmed forth seeking revenge and spoils.