Byron's Day in America: The U.S. Squadron and His Lordship's Legacy

This essay revisits Byron's 1822 venture aboard the U.S. ships Constitution and Ontario in Livorno, Italy. Drawing from previously unheeded evidence, including a rediscovered painting by William Edward West, I piece together a comprehensive account of the day and consider its significance both to Byron and to the Americans he met. I argue that the visit was of personal and familial consequence for Byron giving voice to the postnational yearnings of his exile. Moreover, for the Americans, the visit caused ripple effects that continued into the 1890s.