Impressed! is the story of Edwin Lawrence, a Boston merchant en route to Portugal in October 1811 when the American vessel on which he is a passenger is stopped and boarded by a British frigate. Lawrence is "impressed" and forced to serve before the mast as an ordinary seaman facing the dangers of tropical squalls, disease, and battles with the French. Edwin is not forgotten. His wife Prudence uses every social and political contact in Boston and Washington to try and effect her husband's release and return.

The War of 1812: You know when, but do you know why?

The young United States faces its fi rst hostage crisis with thousands of Americans impressed by the Royal Navy. The U.S. is militarily and economically unprepared to challenge the superpower that rules the waves. Merchants, shipowners, elected offi cials, and diplomats debate the issues of free trade, sailors' rights, negotiation versus force, sectional differences, possible secession, slavery, and the potential conquest of Canada. But it is Edwin and Prudence Lawrence who face the day-to-day realities of separation, uncertainty, and very real fear as Impressed! moves towards its explosive conclusion.