Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial is a United States National Park Service owned and operated memorial structure that commemorates the Battle of Lake Erie, which occurred off of the coast of Ohio and around South Bass Island in 1813 (an artists interpretation of the battle is shown at right (U.S. Navy/Released)). The design for the memorial was chosen by competition. The competition for the memorial was held just before the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, and the monument completed just after the centennial celebration, in 1914.

 

The memorial is named for Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who is widely considered to be the hero of the Battle of Lake Erie. He supervised the building of a naval fleet in Lake Erie and later led it into battle, resulting in an American victory. That, and subsequent naval victories in the Great Lakes, is considered to be a turning point in the war that eventually resulted in an American victory in the western theater of the War of 1812.

 

The War of 1812 marks the last major conflict between the United States and the United Kingdom. Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial also commemorates the enduring peace that the United States, Canada, and Great Britain has experienced since the end of the war.