Long overshadowed by the American Revolution and the Civil War, the War of 1812 remains a largely forgotten conflict. Its origins as part of the larger Napoleonic wars layered complex issues that to this day make the conflict difficult to understand. The bicentennial of the War of 1812 is now upon us. With an engaging question-and-answer format, this book offers a concise and informative introduction to the War of 1812, clearing much of the fog that surrounds it.

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright -- Contents -- List of Illustrations -- Preface to the First Edition -- Preface to the Bicentennial Edition -- Introduction -- 1. The Road to War, 1801-1812 -- 2. The Declaration of War -- 3. The Baltimore Riots -- 4. The Campaign of 1812 -- 5. Raising Men and Money -- 6. The Campaign of 1813 -- 7. The Last Embargo -- 8. The British Counteroffensive -- 9. The Crisis of 1814 -- 10. The Hartford Convention -- 11. The Treaty of Ghent -- Conclusion -- A Note on Sources -- Notes -- Index -- back cover.

The War of 1812 ranged over a remarkably large territory, as the fledgling United States battled Great Britain at sea and on land across what is now the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada. Native people and the Spanish were also involved in the war’s interrelated conflicts. Often overlooked, the War of 1812 has been the subject of an explosion of new research over the past twenty-five years. The Routledge Handbook of the War of 1812 brings together the insights of this research through an array of fresh essays by leading scholars in the field, offering an overview of current understandings of the war that will be a vital reference for students and researchers alike. The essays in this volume examine a wide range of military, political, social, and cultural dimensions of the war. With full consideration given to American, Canadian, British, and native viewpoints, the international group of contributors place the war in national and international context, chart the course of events in its different theaters, consider the war’s legacy and commemoration, and examine the roles of women, African Americans, and natives. Capturing the state of the field in a single volume, this handbook is a must-have resource for anyone with an interest in early America.

The War of 1812 is often forgotten when we think about the history of the United States. Yet the effects of what seems a minor and insignificant conflict are far-reaching, even to today. The world settled into the roles it would play out for decades, and the boundaries of the United States and Canada would be set for the next two hundred years. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Beginning of the War ✓ From Tippecanoe to War Hawks ✓ The War in the North ✓ The Battles of the Middle United States: Iowa and Lake Erie ✓ The Patriot’s War ✓ Washington in Flames ✓ A Bit About Pirates ✓ What is the impact of the War of 1812? And much more! Unlikely heroes would rise, leading to eventual power, while Native Americans would play out their own struggle on a backdrop of bloodshed and intrigue.

Popular memory of the War of 1812 caroms from the beleaguered Fort McHenry to the burning White House to an embattled New Orleans. But the critical action was elsewhere, as Richard V. Barbuto tells us in this clarifying work that puts the state of New York squarely at the center of America’s first foreign war. British demands to move the northern border as far south as the Ohio River put New York on the first line of defense. But it was the leadership of Governor Daniel D. Tompkins that distinguished the state’s contribution to the war effort, effectively mobilizing the considerable human and material resources that proved crucial to maintaining the nation’s sovereignty. New York’s War of 1812 shows how, despite a widespread antiwar movement and fierce partisan politics, Tompkins managed to corral and maintain support—until 1814, when Britain agreed to peace. Retrieving New York’s War of 1812 from the fog of military history, Barbuto describes the disproportionate cost paid by the state in loss of life and livelihood. The author draws on in-depth research of the state’s legislative, financial, and militia records, as well as on the governor’s extensive correspondence, to plot the conduct of the war regionally and chronologically and to tell the stories of numerous raids, skirmishes, and battles that touched civilians in their homes and communities. Whether offering a clearer picture of the performance of the state militia, providing a more accurate account of the conflict’s impact on the state’s diverse population, or newly detailing New York’s decisive contribution, this deeply researched, closely observed work revises our view of the nation’s perhaps least understood war.

Presque Isle State Park, a peninsula extending seven miles into Lake Erie, attracts four million visitors each year. Since the late 1800s, the park has been an ecological and recreational paradise where visitors can enjoy solitude, reflection, and the wonders of nature. At times strong storms are driven in off of Lake Erie, however, and since 1814, man has been struggling to protect Presque Isle against the forces of nature that constantly cause destruction and erosion on the park. Through extensive research and vintage images gathered from the collections of author Eugene Ware, the Erie County Historical Society, Erie County Public Library, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and various local sources, A History of Presque Isle reflects the history and special aura of the park. It traces the long and rich past of Presque Isle and Erie, Pennsylvania, from the peninsulas formation in the ice ages to the early 1950s. Through a series of conversations with Joe Root, the legendary hermit who lived in the park from approximately 1880 until nearly 1915, as well as his own personal reflections, Ware provides an unforgettable glimpse into the beauty and majesty of Presque Isle, including what it offers visitors today. A History of Presque Isle documents the history and complete story of a Pennsylvania park known for its ghosts, legends, and gift for influencing visitors to this day.

With distrust between the political parties running deep and Congress divided, the government of the United States goes to war. The war is waged without adequately preparing the means to finance it or readying suitable contingency plans to contend with its unanticipated complications. The executive branch suffers from managerial confusion and in-fighting. The military invades a foreign country, expecting to be greeted as liberators, but encounters stiff, unwelcome resistance. The conflict drags on longer than predicted. It ends rather inconclusively—or so it seems in its aftermath. Sound familiar? This all happened two hundred years ago. What So Proudly We Hailed looks at the War of 1812 in part through the lens of today's America. On the bicentennial of that formative yet largely forgotten period in U.S. history, this provocative book asks: What did Americans learn—and not learn—from the experience? What instructive parallels and distinctions can be drawn with more recent events? How did it shape the nation? Exploring issues ranging from party politics to sectional schisms, distant naval battles to the burning of Washington, and citizens' civil liberties to the fate of Native Americans caught in the struggle, these essays speak to the complexity and unpredictability of a war that many assumed would be brief and straightforward. What emerges is a revealing perspective on a problematic "war of choice"—the nation's first, but one with intriguing implications for others, including at least one in the present century. Although the War of 1812 may have faded from modern memory, the conflict left important legacies, both in its immediate wake and in later years. In its own time, the war was transformative. To this day, however, some of the fundamental challenges that confronted U.S. policymakers two centuries ago still resonate. How much should a free society regularly invest in national defense? Should the expense be defrayed throu

Adventures along the Star-Spangled Banner Trail. Winner of the Association of Partners for Public Lands Media Partnership Award of the Association of Partners for Public Lands All but forgotten by Americans, the War of 1812 (1812–1815) was a dramatic watershed for the young, groundbreaking United States Republic. Ill-prepared to fight the powerful English nation, the U.S. struggled through three years of conflict but emerged more unified with new patriotic symbols like the "Star-Spangled Banner." Much of the fighting occurred in the Chesapeake region and this new book, In Full Glory Reflected, uncovers its gripping stories of devastating raids, heroic defense, gallant privateers, fugitive slaves, and threatened lands. The historic tales unfold with a lively narrative, well over a hundred vivid illustrations, and clear maps to follow the action. In addition, a travel section provides a rich guide for adventurers who want to step back 200 years and explore the tidewater world where the war was fought. In Full Glory Reflected is an enchanting invitation to travel the Star- Spangled Banner National Historic Trail and discover the amazing world of our ancestors.

An Irish officer in the British Army, Major General Robert Ross (1766–1814) was a charismatic leader widely admired for his bravery in battle. Despite a military career that included distinguished service in Europe and North Africa, Ross is better known for his actions than his name: his 1814 campaign in the Chesapeake Bay resulted in the burning of the White House and Capitol and the unsuccessful assault on Baltimore, immortalized in “The Star Spangled Banner.” The Man Who Captured Washington is the first in-depth biography of this important but largely forgotten historical figure. Drawing from a broad range of sources, both British and American, military historians John McCavitt and Christopher T. George provide new insight into Ross’s career prior to his famous exploits at Washington, D.C. Educated in Dublin, Ross joined the British Army in 1789, earning steady promotion as he gained combat experience. The authors portray him as an ambitious but humane commanding officer who fought bravely against Napoleon’s forces on battlefields in Holland, southern Italy, Egypt, and the Iberian Peninsula. Following the end of the war in Europe, while still recovering from a near-fatal wound, Ross was designated to lead an “enterprise” to America, and in August 1814 he led a small army to victory in the Battle of Bladensburg. From there his forces moved to the city of Washington, where they burned public buildings. In detailing this campaign, McCavitt and George clear up a number of misconceptions, including the claim that the British burned the entire city of Washington. Finally, the authors shed new light on the long-debated circumstances surrounding Ross’s death on the eve of the Battle of North Point at Baltimore. Ross’s campaign on the shores of the Chesapeake lasted less than a month, but its military and political impact was enormous. Considered an officer and a gentleman by many on both sides of the Atlantic, the general who captured Washington would in time fade in public memory. Yet, as McCavitt and George show, Ross’s strategies and achievements during the final days of his career would shape American defense policy for decades to come.