In the preface, the author states that he wanted to look at more than just the naval tactics employed on Lake Erie during the War of 1812; he wanted to concentrate on the construction of the fleet and its associated logistical problems. "All contributing factors have been considered. They include the state of society within the area, its urban centers, its industrial facilities, and its transportation and communication development; where the workmen were obtained and how they were transported to the scene of the building; the costs involved in the construction; and the leaders who directed the work. It is, I hope, a complete treatment of the building of the fleet."
Contents : 1. Why The Fleet Was Built/ 2. The Lake Erie Frontier/ 3. The Builders of the Fleet/ 4. Manpower and Supplies/ 5. Chronology of The Fleet's Construction/ 6. Conclusion/ Appendix 1: The Five Vessels From Black Rock/ Appendix 2: The legend of The Dupont Powder Train
Chapters: Fair Play Territory: Geography and Topography --- The Fair Play Settlers: Demographic Factors --- The Politics of Fair Play --- The Farmers' Frontier --- Fair Play Society --- Leadership and the Problems of the Frontier --- Democracy on the Pennsylvania Frontier --- Frontier Ethnography and the Turner Thesis
Summary
The book discusses a self-governing community established in an area that was between today's Williamsport and Lock Haven, settled primarily by Scotch-Irish immigrants who had felt unwelcome in the Province of Pennsylvania.
