200 years ago today

**Morris at Heathfield** · 6th July 12, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by georgeetta

-THOUGHT GR BR LOST WAR OF 1812 ?

The war was rather inconclusive. The U.S. failed to achieve its war aims as a result of the peace agreement. For the U.K. the war was a distraction from the Napoleonic Wars. In the longer term, the U.K. ended the practice of impressment once the Napoleonic Wars were concluded, and further border disputes between the U.S. and the British Empire were resolved diplomatically. The U.S. victory at the Battle of the New Orleans did boost morale, but it had no effect on the course of the war, which was already technically over. I haven't read anything to indicate that it had any effect on the peace negotiations.

**ThistleDown** · 5th July 12, 05:40 PM

Sssshhhh. Don't shout, georgeetta.

**kc8ufv** · 6th July 12, 08:24 AM

I can take a very brief walk from work, just across the River Rasin, and see a rather large monument for General Custer. Actually, the town where I work is VERY BIG on the history surrounding the War of 1812. Right now, I look out the window at work, and the 15 star (and 15 stripe) US flag is flying at City Hall....

**georgeetta** · 6th July 12, 02:44 PM

I think of 1812 I think ..burn the white house, the Madisons, the Ungers ..Sackets Harbor NY, Plattsburg NY Naval and land battle under MacDonough, irate Vermonters on border ..also Tecumseh Wars which was big for the US THEN ..Harrison ..some famous Ca/UK general who let Tecumseh down ..shakos ..Iroquois form Canada painting up ..Battle of NOrleans ..Jean LaFitte ..cotton bales ..bagpipes ..lots of Scottish guys getting wasted away ..Highland Regimenatl uniforms with a lot of white trim .."lace" it's called ..Andy Jackson Ole Hickory ..West Point styled uniforms ..must be a George IV outing ..am I right ?
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**ThistleDown** · 6th July 12, 03:27 PM

Depends on where and who you are, georgeeta. History is understood in terms of the needs of the time and of individuals and their political leaders. Today I would say historians in the United Kingdom and Canada might recognise roughly half of your list as accurate and the other half as...well, another point of view limited pretty much to surface bits and pieces.

**davedove** · 7th July 12, 05:22 AM

I'm sure that if one compared the accounts of the war given in US, Canadian, and British history books, there would be some fascinating differences in point of view. I once read a short article where the Mexican view was given of the Alamo and it was quite an awakening. We all get the version of history as interpreted by our schools and it's good to get another point of view to a story. As much as we may honor and cherish our homelands, no government is right 100% of the time.

**georgeetta** · 7th July 12, 09:43 AM

certainly opposing views adn history books clash ..and have THEIR info to use as ..refernce materials . I had no interest in 1812 barring Andy Jakcson ..and what happened to scots being mowed ..in the Heston Brenner movie BUT ..antiques road show ..guy brought in musket given to boys in PLattsburg that came to help US by guarding a wee brig ..and commander shook all their hands though boys promised to give each a mcukjet ..ther ti was ..with a plate commemmerating the battle ..MacDonough s victory was also great in PLattsburg ..he had 3 ships ..his was smashed by cannons by Brits ..he was smart nuff to have the ends chained 180 degrees so when 1 side was shelled to bits he keel hauled and spun around a fresh new side to continue battle with and that saved him ..genious !

Sackett's Harbour barracks are still standing ..kinda pretty ..not all aware of battle up by Uncle's farm ..it was a landing I think repulsed ..maybe out of ..Kingston or head of Lake by UK .

The Northeast New York was called the Military Patent all soldiers of 1812 were gievn a lot of land as grant ..mowst sold never seen to speculatoprs ..auntie's family went up then beofre obviously civil war and settled ..good farm country FLAT !!

sorry never liked shakos !

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**jhockin** · 8th July 12, 10:16 AM

unless I missed it, haven't seen even one reference ( even from those in, or from, Ontario) to Laura Secord ... ( think chocolates!;0))

http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/43

http://www.warof1812.ca/laurasecord.htm

**gordontaos** · 8th July 12, 11:41 AM

One recently published book on the subject is AJ Langguth's "Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence."
I am ashamed to say that I have not yet read this book, but I have found his book on the American Revolution ("Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution.") to be enlightening and objective.

As a former investigator I certainly agree with Father Bill when he says, "generally there are three points of view: yours, mine, and the truth somewhere between the two others." This has been my mantra for about 35 years.

In 1974 I decided to join my local reenacting group to celebrate the American Revolution's Bicentennial and to assist in my personal transformation from warrior to college student. As luck would have it my local group was a Loyalist unit and I quickly learned that there are indeed many sides to every story.

A very interesting, and little known (in the USA), series of events in the Mexican American War illustrates this. The San Patricio Brigade, made up of many non-Mexicans and many Irish Catholic Americans, fought for the Mexican government. Today these men are memorialized all over Mexico and by a statue in Ireland. However the US Army apparently even denied the existance of this unit until 1915. The story of this unit was made into a movie starring Tom Berringer, called "One Man's Hero", after the phrase that "one man's hero is another man's traitor".

My experience and research indicates that rarely are events, wars, political events, etc. as clear cut as we would like them to be. However our leaders are bound and determined to make them as cut and dried as possible.

Virtually everyone on this forum has a vested interest of some sort in the War of 1812. We cannot deny the events that have occurred, nor can we redo them. However, perhaps with an open mind, we can truly learn from them.

Peace.

**georgeetta** · 8th July 12, 12:15 PM

very good point

we had in college ..a prof and i dopey enough thiink this elective 'd be a no brainer as I loved history thne world geography ..actually skip the history guy and stay scottish point

was another "easy" 4.0 //cept for part he was ex WW2 Naval Intellignce officer and had no compunction assigning quads of world to study ..main benefit he showed me john prebble's books explained how prebble wrote about scotland and how much to learn ..being you wnat to write about Glencoe ..start 1000 years before ..1000 not 100 not 1 ..start writing there and lead up to the story of an hour and change's chaos on one cold February night in 1692 .

you learn ..any investigator judge ..detective how har dit is to put together "truth" ..let alone from eyewitnesses ..

I'M WATCHING A BBC SET IN LIBERRY BEING 10 DICS ..MUCH LESS PAINFUL THAN KEEPING TRACK OF MACKIE BOOK ..THINK I DID TRANTER TOO ..PREBBLE I FIND EASY BUT ORGANIZED AND LONG BUT YOU WIND UP CLEAR .

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