Re: Bull-Turtle's-Head.

From: Jeff Richard <richaje_at_Aqmw8TmDO23f2i-D6NYm8Gvo2L0wDN9hVCFHi8mrzCb7iRQc1-xKm0W-OOw-li_gUm6Z>
Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 02:47:12 -0000


> A few quick corrections. Jefferson was already
> out of the Oval Office when the War of 1812 started.
> It became known as Madison's War to those who didn't
> agree with it. (One of Daniel's misapprehensions)

Yep. Although Jefferson was still the great intellect and political guru for the Democratic-Republican party.

> Well, Brock unfortunately didn't survive the
> war, but he was unquestionably a good general. Check
> out his capture of Detroit, after Mackinac had been
> captured. Granted, General Hull was a coward, and
> stupidly surrendered Detroit, but, hey, you chose him.

The politics behind the choice of appointments was pretty interesting.  Most of the competent members of the US officer corps were Federalists and thus political unreliable. Andy Jackson - although a Democratic-Republican - was also viewed as politically unreliable and given a crappy appointment. Believe me, had he been appointed in charge of the Great Lakes campaign, things would have gone very different for the British.

> Add to that the near-bankruptcy of the U.S.
> federal government, and the repeated disinclinations
> of the state militias to be ordered out of their home
> states, and you see why the Americans decided to quit
> while they weren't too far behind. The town of
> Ogdensburg, NY, requested the feds not to send any
> more militia to their town because the locals didn't
> like the problems this would cause with the British
> stationed at Fort Wellington, Prescott, right across
> the river.

Actually, the US government was nowhere near bankruptcy - in 1814 we enjoyed a better bond rating than the British. However, given that neither power had much strategic interest in the war (Britain had little interest in the conflict and the US lost its interest very quickly), it is not surprising that both parties were willing to negotiate.

> Implicitly admitting that the U.S. did not
> succeed in its primary military aim, which was to
> conquer Canada. So much for Manifest Destiny.

Yep. But not Manifest Destiny which was not yet much of an issue in the US. The reunification of British America failed and the US lost interest in joining Upper Canada and the Maritime Provinces to the US (Lower Canada was always viewed as problematic). Again remember that the War of 1812 is only 30 years after the War of Independence and many had harbored hopes that all of British America would become independent. The British dashed that hope. Oh well.

Jeff            

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