during the war. The War of 1812 had a large impact on Boston, the setting of the story, as the Atlantic Theatre of the war was fought over Britain's trade restrictions due to its ongoing war with France as well as the impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal navy. During the war, heavy blockades were set up around port cities like Boston, and exports suffered heavily, making the war very unpopular to merchants in these cities. However, there was still cause for a strong sense of patriotism during the time, which Wright would exploit in his writing of The Female Marine. During the War of 1812, the American Navy achieved their first naval victory against the British fleet with the USS Constitution. The Constitution was built to protect the ports of Boston, and became a potent symbol of national military prowess. After a battle with the British warship Guirriere, the public affectionately dubbed the Constitution, “Old Ironsides”, firmly establishing her popularity in the eyes of the people. Her popularity has continued through today, as the world's oldest floating commissioned naval vessel. Wright chose the Constitution as the ship Brewer would hide herself aboard as it was one of the most famous ships and most patriotic symbols of the country at the time. Contemporary reaction Nathaniel Coverly's audience was mainly a mash of sailors, prostitutes, and juveniles. This was due in part to the subject matter of his writing, which was often too vulgar for the upper classes, but his broadsides and pamphlets were very modestly priced, and were thus affordable to all but the most impoverished people. Coverly sought the same audience with the publication of The Female Marine, although he particularly targeted the juveniles, noting in the third part of the series that it was “worthy the perusal of young persons of both sexes, and of all classes.” Due to the popularity of the three part series, Coverly produced additional spinoffs, one allegedly written by Rachel Sperry, the madam of the brothel in which Baker claims to have been entrapped. In her “Brief Reply to the Late Writings of Louisa Baker”, Sperry reveals Baker's true name as Eliza Bowen and denounces the claim that Baker, now Bowen, had ever been unwilling to serve in prostitution. These spinoffs never achieved the success of the original three in the series and so were quickly cut short. However, at least