Faculty Forum
The Wars of 1812 and 2001

By LTC Wesley Allen Riddle
UMUC-Camp Doha

LTC Wesley Allen Riddle

The War of 1812, sometimes called "the Second War of Independence," was fought between the United States and Great Britain 1812-1815. The British struggle against Napoleon's France led to British action against neutral American shipping starting around 1803.

The British Navy not only stopped neutral American shipping, they also increasingly boarded ships to seek "deserters"—sometimes impressing American seamen into service for Britain. Economic coercion such as embargoes by Jefferson and Madison failed, as badly as did their attempts to negotiate. The British also incited Indians along the Great Lakes frontier against American settlements. War sentiment grew in the United States, especially in the West and South. It was mostly a matter of national honor that war was finally declared, but military preparedness was not what it should have been. American forays into Canada proved disastrous. Only the small American Navy performed well.

In 1814, with France collapsing, the British launched major attacks against the United States. Washington was occupied. President James Madison and the Congress were forced to flee. It is said the First Family literally left dinner on the table, and British officers sat down to enjoy it. Dolly Madison managed to take some of the White House china, which is fortunate, since the British burned the White House and other public buildings in Washington, D.C. British setbacks in Baltimore, on Lake Champlain, and at the Battle of Plattsburg Bay led the British to concentrate on a negotiated settlement rather than to continue the war. Indeed, it was during and after the unsuccessful British bombardment of Fort McHenry at Baltimore, that Francis Scott Key wrote down the words to our national anthem. His amazed and joyful vision of the American flag standing against that smoky sky 'the morning after' in September 1814 was like ours in September 2001. Old Glory stood then, despite the devastation of bombs and rockets; it stands today at the base of what was the World Trade Center in New York, having withstood the devastation of deliberate airplane crashes and the collapse of modern architectural marvels.

The Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812 required the return of territory seized by both sides. It was signed in December, prior to the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. But news of the battle and the peace treaty reached Washington and many people at about the same time. Andrew Jackson's stunning tactical victory looked like it had determined the war's entire outcome. Jackson himself became an overnight sensation and a military hero—with implications beyond the war itself. Moreover, secessionist sentiment had started to influence politics in New England. Madison's stringent embargo hurt the New England economy disproportionately. "Blue-light" Federalists were even accused of cavorting with the enemy and signaling British ships. New England delegates, chiefly from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, met in a secret session in Hartford, Connecticut—practically on the eve of victory. They adopted a series of resolutions critical of the War and even voted to nullify pending legislation, should it pass. The Federalist Party collapsed after victory in the War of 1812, discredited in the eyes of the public.

The War of 1812 and the subsequent experience of the Federalist Party established a strong precedent in this country that all political parties would pull together in the event of war. Congress would support the President; the people would support their Congress. In peacetime, political parties debate foreign policy and domestic policy alike. Indeed, it is likely that wars imply certain foreign policy or intelligence or security failures. We may well ask ourselves why others hate us so much. Have we truly followed George Washington's advice not to become too partial to any country at the expense of others—never mind getting into 'entangling alliances'? (I'm grateful, of course, that NATO and other friends abroad have expressed solidarity with America.) But are we really the honest broker we claim to be in the Middle East? There will be time for reassessments of foreign policy later—and all the debates a political junkie can handle. To paraphrase Patrick Henry, however, today 'we are not Virginians,' or New Yorkers, or Texans merely. We are Americans. When Americans are killed and war declared, Americans close ranks to vanquish the enemy. Hardship and sacrifice may come. The Nation of Terrorism is no less an enemy than those we've fought before. Then as now, there is no substitute for victory.

The aftermath of the War of 1812 ushered in a great time for America. We finally attained security from serious European threats to independence. Indeed, in a matter of decades, we started a friendship with the British government that blossomed into the special relationship we enjoy today with the British people. The economy began to boom. Domestic politics became more consensus-oriented. The period coinciding with James Monroe's two terms (before the so-called Age of Jackson) is still known as the "Era of Good Feelings." It is up to our generation like generations before, to preserve and defend the greatest Republic in history and the brightest promise for a free and prosperous mankind tomorrow.

Lt. Col. Wesley Allen Riddle is a native Texan, as well as a historian with degrees from West Point and Oxford. He is currently assigned to the Office of Military Cooperation-Kuwait (OMC-K) and teaches U.S. History part time for UMUC at the Education Center, Camp Doha. Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Defense, the Department of State, or the U.S. government.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily the opinions of UMUC, the University System of Maryland, or the state of Maryland.