In the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair (often times referred to as the Chesapeake Affair), which occurred on June 22, 1807, the Britishwarship HMS Leopard attacked and boarded the Americanfrigate USS Chesapeake off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, killing or wounding 21 men and capturing four alleged British deserters. The American public was outraged with the incident, as President Thomas Jefferson noted: "Never since the battle of Lexington have I seen this country in such a state of exasperation." The President closed U.S. territorial waters to British warships, demanded payment for damages, and requested an end to British efforts to search United States ships for "deserters," acts which were commonly considered an excuse to impress American sailors into British service.
This event served to escalate tensions between the two countries and can be seen as one of the events leading up to the War of 1812. Indeed, many demanded war following the incident, but President Thomas Jefferson instead used diplomacy and economic pressure in the form of the Embargo Act of 1807.
On June 22, 1807, the United States frigateChesapeake cleared Norfolk area waters for the Mediterranean to relieve the USS Constitution as flagship of the European station.
Catching sight of the Chesapeake, one of the British vessels, the HMS Leopard, weighed anchor and followed her.
As his body was ferried across the river to the County Wharf, all of the American vessels in the harbor displayed their colors at half mast, while minute guns were fired by the artillery on shore.
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