The War of 1812

The War of 1812, A FORGOTTEN CONFLICT, is a book written by Donald R. Hickey, who is a History professor in Wayne State College, Nebraska. In this book, he inscribes in detail the various causes and consequences of the War of 1812, which is probably the most obscure war of the United States. Even though a great deal has been written about the war, the regular American is unaware of why we fought this war.

There are many reasons for the insignificance of this war; one reason is that no great president is linked with this war; however, Madison’s enemies called it “Mr. Madison’s war.” Another reason for the obscurity is that its causes are disguised in mystery. Some scholars have debated for the primacy of maritime causes, whereas some argued that the war was fought for “free trade and sailors’ rights.” Other writers have highlighted the desire to conquer Canada, and some have focused on political causes; asserting that the Republicans embraced war as a means of maintaining power and silencing Federalists. On the other hand, another group stressed ideological factors; the desire to sustain the prestige of the Republic and preserves national integrity. The decision for war, in other words, has been attributed to a wide variety of motives. Like the unclear causes of the war, the consequences are also vague. The United States has won most of its battles, and most Americans pretended they had won the war even calling it a “second war of independence,” but the war ended in a draw. This lack of triumph may best explain why the war is so little remembered.

Conversely, there are some significances of this war too; firstly, it was an important tuning point, a great division, in the history of the young Republic. It concluded the diplomacy, one-sided politics, and marked the end to the Federalist Party. Secondly, the war also broke the power of American Indians and reinforced the powerful feeling of Anglophobia that had been present in American culture since the revolution. The historian Donald R. Hickey detailed the entire War in eleven chapters in this book; The Road to War, 1801-1812, the declaration of war, The Baltimore Riots, The Campaign of 1812, Raising men and Money, The campaign of 1813, The Last Embargo, The British counteroffensive, The crisis of 1814, The Hartford Convention, and The Treaty of Ghent. The War lasted for three years.

In the first chapter, The Road to War, 1801-1812, Donald explicated the events which headed for the war. The initial happening was the Essex decision in 1805, which ruled that landing goods and paying duties in the United States were no longer proof of authentic importation, as a result; the Royal Navy began seizing American ships involved in the re-export trade, with paralyzing effects of mounting insurance rates. The total number of vessels seized was probably three or four hundred. A government verdict, issued in May of 1806 announcing a blockade of northern Europe “the Fox Blockade,” tacitly restored the re-export trade to its old status. The other Anglo-American problem was impressment, the British practice of taking seamen from American ships on the high seas. Between 1803 and 1812, it is estimated that about 6,000 suffered this fate. Although the re-export trade and impressment were the most serious problems that troubled Anglo-American relations in 1805, there were other sources of friction as well, which included; the British practice of violating American territorial waters, the British use of blockade ports interrupting the trade, conflict over the definition of contraband, and difference over the status of enemy (French) property on neutral vessels. Furthermore, in 1807, Senate rejected the Monroe-Pinckney Treaty of 1806, according to which the British agreed not to interfere with the re-export trade as long as American ships paid a small transit duty on their stopover in the United States, which worsened the Anglo-American relations steadily. On June 22, 1807, H.M.S Leopard the British frigate approaches the Chesapeake, the American frigate, and fired three broadsides killing three men and wounding eighteen. Consequently, the Republicans adopted the Embargo, the most comprehensive and controversial of all the trade restrictions. It prohibited American ships and goods from leaving port and stopped the trade with the entire world. Economically, this embargo drove the nation into a deep depression. In March of 1809, after fifteen months of national suffering Congress repealed the embargo and replaced it with a non-intercourse act, which prohibited trade only with England, France, and their colonies, but permitted it with the rest of the world. In May of 1810, Congress repealed the non-intercourse act and substituted Macon’s bill #2, which reopened trade with England and France. In 1811, the outbreak of a new Indian war on the western frontier contributed to Anglo-American discord. This battle (Tippecanoe) was an American victory and set Americans of a mind to the war. Subsequently, war appealed to the Republicans because of the numerous reasons which includes; the vision of winning diplomatic concessions from the British, forcing them to give up the orders in Council, impressment, and modifying their maritime practices. Also, Republicans saw war as a way of vindicating American independence. Thus by 1812, many Republicans had concluded that there were convincing diplomatic, ideological, and political reasons for going to the War against England.

         In the second chapter, “the Declaration of war,” the writer inscribes about how the war was professed. The twelfth Congress known to history as the War Congress assembled on November 4, 1811.The War Congress also contained a new group, the War Hawks, a group of about a dozen passionate loyalists. On November 5, Madison called for War Preparations, and between 1811 and 1812, Congress ratified a War Program. Five of the measures were designed to support a land War which included; completing the 10,000-man army, raising 25,000 additional regulars, 50,000 one-year volunteers, authorized the president to call out 100,000 militia for up to six months service, and appropriated $1,900,000 for the purchase of Weaponry. Equally, the measures were designed to support a Maritime War too. In less than four months, Congress decreed legislation to fill the ranks of the existing army, raise additional regulars and volunteers, call out the militia, purchase ordnance, fit out the navy, build coastal fortifications, and borrow money. The program was a giant step in the direction of War. On June 18, 1812, the vote on the War Bill 79-49 in the House and 19-13 in the Senate was the closest vote on any declaration of War in American history.