America's first crisis
Subtitle: the War of 1812
By: Robert P. Watson
Series: Excelsior editions
Publisher: State University of New York Press
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Albany
Language: eng
Number of pages: 415
ISBN-13: 9781438451343
Subjects: History
Other titles: War of 1812
Description: The War of 1812, sometimes called "Americas forgotten war", was a curious affair. At the time, it was dismissed as "Mr. Madisons War". Later it was hailed by some as Americas "Second War for Independence" and ridiculed by others, such as President Harry Truman, as "the silliest damned war we ever had". The conflict, which produced several great heroes and future presidents, was all this and more.0In this book Robert P. Watson tells the stories of the most intriguing battles and leaders and shares the most important blunders and victories of the war. What started out as an effort to invade Canada, fueled by anger over the harassment of American merchant ships by the Royal Navy, soon turned into an all-out effort to fend off an invasion by Britain. Armies marched across the Canadian border and sacked villages; navies battled on Lake Ontario, Lake Champlain, and the worlds oceans; both the American and Canadian capitals were burned; and, in a final irony, the United States won its greatest victory in New Orleans - after the peace treaty had been signed.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 393-400) and index.