Episode 2 of 3
Attack off Norfolk
- When
- 22 June 1807
- Where
- Off Norfolk, Virginia
HMS Leopard attacked and boarded USS Chesapeake off Norfolk, Virginia, on 22 June 1807, seeking Royal Navy deserters who had joined the American crew.
Leopard pursued the American frigate, which refused to allow a search for deserters. The engagement resulted in heavy damage to Chesapeake. The incident occurred while British vessels were blockading French warships in Chesapeake Bay, highlighting tensions over desertion and impressment.
Sources
- Chesapeake–Leopard affair Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-22
- USS Chesapeake (1799) Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-13
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.