Norfolk, Virginia. The British battleship HMS Leopard approaches the American USS Chesapeake, searching for deserters. It is denied boarding permission. Tensions quickly escalate. An American sailor accidentally rolls his drum and is silenced by the captain. The British ship, armed with 50 guns, fires first a shot, then a series of broadsides with all available guns on that side. The American ship is heavily damaged in its masts, sails, and hull. Three are killed and nine are wounded. The sailors, as is customary, spread sand on the deck to soak up the blood from the numerous shrapnel wounds and prevent slipping. The incident threatens to spark a new conflict between the United States and Great Britain, and it will take all of Thomas Jefferson’s skill to prevent it.
