The United States in the World: An International History from Colonial Times to the Cold War (“Maddy in Full Flight” 1814)
Rough Course Schedule v Week 1: Colonial Possessions in a World at War v Week 2: New Republic, Perilous World, 1787-44 v Week 3: Manifest Destiny, 1844-1898 v Week 4: Emerging Great Power, 1898-1914 v Week 5: United States in the Great War, 1914-18 v Week 6: Interwar Interregnum, 1919-1941 v Week 7: United States in World War II, 1941-45 v Week 8: From World War to Cold War, 1945-
Declaration of War v June 1: Message to Congress, justifying war with Britain v June 4: House votes 79-49 for war v June 16: To avoid war with US, Britain revokes Orders in Council v News reaches US too late! v June 17: Senate votes 19-13 for declaration of war (close votes!)
Napoleon Crosses the Nieman June 24, 1812
A Difficult Start to the War v Jeffersonians thought war with Britain would bring about annexation of Canada v No Bank of the US v Army of only 7,000 v US faces dire economic and military challenges
Jeffersonian Designs for Canada v Jefferson, August 1812: v “The acquisition of Canada this year … will be a mere matter of marching & will give us experience for … the final expulsion of England from the American continent.”
Historian Gordon Wood: “Mr. Madison’s Weird War” v Like so many of America’s wars, it was a “war of choice” v We initiated it, it was not forced upon us v 1 st Congressional declaration v Since WWII we have fought five significant wars without any of them being formally declared!
Napoleonic Wars & War of 1812 v War of 1812 seen elsewhere as merely a tiny, unknown theater of the Napoleonic Wars (1799-1815) v Course of War of 1812 much influenced by events abroad v (Napoleonic Wars: 4 million dead; War of 1812, 15,000)
War of 1812 was Peculiar: First, it was a very small war within a much larger global war, a “sideshow”
British & French had been engaged in an epic two-decade-long struggle for supremacy in Europe and the Atlantic world
War linked to Napoleonic Wars: (5,000 British troops in 1812; 50,000 by 1815)
But no effort whatsoever to even passively coordinate with the French
Paradoxes, Role Reversals v Jeffersonian “War Hawks”; antiwar Federalists v War of choice, but US woefully unprepared for war v No Bank of the US, no preparedness (particularly the navy), small forces, reliance upon “militias”
Weird Timing, Sequencing, Communications (Both at the start & the end!) Regional Peculiarities (support & opposition)
Triumphalism of American rhetoric ill-suited to the realities of the war
Paradoxes and Weirdness v Army fought poorly; tiny navy fought well v US lost more battles but claimed “victory” v That was enough for the “Cult of Jackson” v Opposition suffered obliteration
Only Six Clear Victories Over the British (3 Against Indians): v Lake Erie, 1813 (naval) v York, 1813 v Talladega, 1813* v Autossee, 1813* v Horseshoe Bend, 1814* v Chippawa, 1814 v Baltimore, 1814 v Plattsburgh, 1814 (naval) v New Orleans, 1815
v Fort Mackinac, 1812 Defeats: 13 v Fort Dearborn, 1812 v Detroit, 1812 v Queenstown Heights, 1812 v Smyth’s debacle, 1812 v Rappahannock, 1813 v Frenchtown, 1813 v Fort Niagara, 1813 v Crysler’s Farm, 1813 v Fort Mims, 1813 v Lundy’s Lane, 1814 v Bladensburg, 1814 v Sacking of Washington, 1814
Napoleon’s Defeat at the Battle of the Nations Czar Alexander, Austria’s Francis II, Prussia’s Frederick William III, Leipzig, 1813
March 31, 1814: Napoleon Surrenders Paris April 4, 1814: Napoleon Abdicates May 30, 1814: Napoleon Arrives on Elba He remains on Elba for the next 300 days
British Burn Washington, August 24, 1814 setting the White House, the Capitol and other federal buildings ablaze
“Maddy in Full Flight”
US & British sign Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814. News of treaty does not reach the US until February 1815.
A Very Bizarre Treaty No resolution of key issues (British do sell out their Indian allies) (Agreement to survey borders?)
Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815 Two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent (News of New Orleans & Ghent arrives) Convinces Americans they Won the War!!
Irony of the Hartford Convention, 1814. New England in distress, but timing is everything. New England had more cause for grievance than did the south in 1860.
James Monroe and Foreign Affairs v One of the most qualified to assume presidency (experience matters ) v Revolutionary War service v Congress, Senate; Gov. of VA v Numerous diplomatic posts v Secretary of State v Secretary of War
Monroe’s Presidency: v 1818 Convention with Britain v Adams-Onis Treaty, 1819 v Monroe Doctrine, 1823 v Avoided a major war, favored diplomacy v Acts of Prevention
Monroe Doctrine, December 2, 1823 v Avoided joint declaration with the British v Annual message to Congress declares the “Monroe Doctrine” v Repudiation of further hemispheric colonization (France, Russia, Spain)
Young J.Q. Adams v Accompanied father to Europe at age 10 v Introduction to France, Russia, Netherlands v Secretary and translator for Francis Dana, emissary to St. Petersburg, 1781-83
J.Q. Adams, Diplomat v Netherlands, 1794-97 v Portugal, 1796-97 v Prussia, 1797-1801 v Russia, 1809-14 v Ghent, 1814-15 v Britain, 1815-17 v Sec. of State, 1817-24
In London, Adams visited Louisa Johnson’s family nightly. Always departed when the girls sat down at the piano to play and sing.
He hated the sound of the female voice!
First U.S. minister to Russia, 1809- v Adams often ran into Czar Alexander I (pictured) v Spring of 1812, their banter took a grave turn v “All the indications suggest war” the Tsar told Adams
Napoleon Attacks Russia, 1812 v “Could Napoleon be stopped before St. Petersburg?” Adams asked v “I certainly hope he won’t come this far,” the Czar replied v Fearful of invasion, other diplomats sent wives and daughters home
Adam’s Crisis in 1812 v Louisa Adams and her sister Kitty remained v Kitty the object of the Czar’s amorous interest v The Adamses noticed a change in Kitty v She was pregnant!
Adams’s Travails in 1812 v Not pregnant by the Czar v But by John Quincy’s nephew Billy Smith, sister Nabby’s son! (pictured) v Adams was irate (probably also somewhat relieved)
Secretary of State, 1817-1825 v Formulated fundamentals v Built diplomatic service v Convention of 1818 v 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty v Drafted Monroe Doctrine
Spain agreed to cede Florida to the US under the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty
See Florida & also the 49 th Parallel
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