Complex sentence: Weld planned to attend Harvard as his father had before him; however, during the War of 1812, a British frigate cruising off Boston Harbor captured one of the family's ships carrying a valuable cargo of wine and Spanish silver dollars.
Split into simpler sentences: Weld planned to attend Harvard as his father had before him. However, during the War of 1812, a British frigate cruising off Boston Harbor captured one of the family's ships carrying a valuable cargo of wine and Spanish silver dollars.