Risk in the Anglo-Atlantic World

Catherine DeCesare traces a micro-history of the John Jay using legal records to illustrate political and legal challenges faced by US maritime business in the Atlantic during the Napoleonic Wars. This book provides a close look at the John Jay's fifth voyage when it was chased and captured by the British Royal Navy. DeCesare analyzes the legal battle that ensued and how the actions of the British Navy underscored US weaknesses. The history of the John Jay reflects both the personal and national uncertainties and struggles of the US foreign policy, domestic policy, and business in the Atlantic, a realm controlled by British law and naval operations at the time.