Proclamation issued by Thomas Boyle, commander of the Chasseur

Description

A proclamation issued by Thomas Boyle, an Irish American captain of the Baltimore-built clipper ship Chasseur and one of the most successful privateers in Baltimore, Maryland, during the War of 1812. Boyle proclaimed a blockade on the United Kingdom in 1814 after a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean, and the posting of the proclamation caused fear and panic among British merchants leading to increased maritime insurance rates and to the denouncement of the war due to its interference with business. A local newspaper dubbed the Chasseur and its crew the "Pride of Baltimore" upon their return to Baltimore city in the spring of 1815.