The American and British Navies fought the War of 1812 on the lower Lakes and on the coast. The conflict on the Lakes centered on the massive shipbuilding programs by both belligerents. Though square-rigged ships tended to be faster under the right conditions, they proved to be a disadvantage on the Lakes. Experience also demonstrated that shallow-draft vessels were as safe and efficient as the traditional deep-draft ships.
After the War of 1812, schooners became the predominant vessels on the Lakes. Most of the merchant ships between 1800 and 1830 were two-masted schooners of about 70 feet in length and 100 tons register. They carried approximately 150 tons, or 1,500 barrels of cargo with a crew of three or four men. Brigantines combined the best features of both square and fore-and-aft rigs, and became popular in the 1830s and 1840s. They required crews of eight to ten men and were not as maneuverable as schooners. As a result, few brigs or brigantines were built after 1850 because they were too expensive to outfit and operate when compared with the simpler schooners. The most practical and profitable rig was the topsail schooner, designed for fast trips with heavy payloads (characteristic of square rig) and maneuverability with limited crew. Topsail schooners had the ability to sail close to windward that was characteristic of fore-and-aft rigged ships. Topsails in one form or another were a carryover from the days of the Baltimore Clippers. They added speed to otherwise sluggish Lakes schooners, especially when running before prevailing westerly winds.

One type of sailing vessel which became popular on the Lakes was the scow schooner. Scows were introduced around 1830. They were shallow craft with flat bottoms and hard chines (square bilges), although they varied in bow and stern configurations. Scows were simply designed and cheaply built. They were popular for the shallowest, poorest ports in the lumber, cordwood, tanbark, sand, or hay trades. A handful of scows were used on Lake Superior, but they were most common on Lake St. Clair, Lake Michigan, and on the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. Some scows survived as late as 1920.