Don't Give Up the Ship!: Myths of the War of 1812

No longer willing to accept naval blockades, the impressment of American seamen, and seizures of American ships and cargos, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The aim was to frighten Britain into concessions and, if that failed, to bring the war to a swift conclusion with a quick strike at Canada. But the British refused to cave in to American demands, the Canadian campaign ended in disaster, and the U.S. government had to flee Washington, D.C., when it was invaded and burned by a British army. By all objective measures, the War of 1812 was a debacle for the young republic, and yet it was celebrated as a great military triumph. The American people believed they had won the war and expelled the invader. Oliver H. Perry became a military hero, Francis Scott Key composed what became the national anthem and commenced a national reverence for the flag, and the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides," became a symbol of American invincibility. Every aspect of the war, from its causes to its conclusion, was refashioned to heighten the successes, obscure the mistakes, and blur embarrassing distinctions, long before there were mass media or public relations officers in the Pentagon. In this entertaining and meticulously researched book by America's leading authority on the War of 1812, Donald R. Hickey dispels the many misconcep-tions that distort our view of America's second war with Great Britain. Embracing military, naval, political, economic, and diplomatic analyses, Hickey looks carefully at how the war was fought between 1812 and 1815, and how it was remembered thereafter. Was the original declaration of war a bluff? What were the real roles of Canadian traitor Joseph Willcocks, Mohawk leader John Norton, pirate Jean Laffite, and American naval hero Lucy Baker? Who killed the Shawnee chief Tecumseh and who shot the British general Isaac Brock? Who actually won the war, and what is its lasting legacy? Hickey peels away fantasies and embellishments to explore why cer-tain myths gained currency and how they contributed to the way that the United States and Canada view themselves and each other.

Table of Contents:
CoverTitleCopyrightContentsMapsForeword by Donald E. GravesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsA Note on Terminology and NumbersPrologue: The United States and Great Britain in a War-Torn WorldEastern North America in 18121. The Causes of the WarRating Jefferson's PresidencyHas Free Ships–Free Goods Been Overrated?Why Was the Monroe-Pinkney Treaty Important?ImpressmentThe Chesapeake AffairThe Orders-in-CouncilThe Restrictive SystemAssessing American Trade and Prosperity, 1789–1807Who Killed American Prosperity, 1807–15?Did the British Incite the Indians?The Old NorthwestThe Battle of TippecanoeDid Harrison Mismanage the Campaign?What Was the Significance of Tippecanoe?The Lure of CanadaWas National Honor at Stake?Who Were the Real War Hawks?When Did the U.S. Declare War?Was the U.S. Bluffing?When Did the British Declare War?Would an Atlantic Cable Have Averted War?Could War Have Been Averted without an Atlantic Cable?Was the War of 1812 a Second War of Independence?2. Battles and CampaignsWhat Was the First Land Action?The Detroit FrontierWho Took the First Scalp?Why Did General Hull Surrender DetroitWhy Did American Militia Refuse to Fight?What Were Brock's Last Words?Who Killed Brock?Where Did Brock Fall?Brock's Well-Traveled RemainsThe Impact of the BattleHow Decisive Was The Battle?Who Killed Tecumseh?How Many Died in the Fort Mims Massacre?The Burning of Newark/NiagaraHow Innovative Were General Scott's Training Methods?The Niagara FrontierWhat Inspired Cadet Gray?The British Assault on Fort ErieThe Battle of PlattsburghHow Close Did the British Come to Victory?The Capture of WashingtonWhy Did the British Burn Washington?The Chesapeake BayWhen Did the President's House Become the "White House"?Did the British Dine at the White House?The Attack on BaltimoreDid General Ross Disparage the American Militia?Who Killed General Ross?The Fort McHenry FlagThe Birth of "The Star-Spangled Banner"The British Occupation of MaineWhy Did Massachusetts Refuse to Retake Maine?3 The Maritime WarU.S. Naval Construction StrategyU.S. Naval OperationsHow Effective Was the British Blockade?Were American Frigates Actually Ships-of-the-Line in Disguise?Did British Seamen Man U.S. Warships?Did "Picked" Crews Give the U.S. Navy an Edge?What Was the First Naval Battle?What Were the First Naval Prizes?The U.S. Frigate ConstitutionH.M. Ship Shannon v. U.S. Frigate ChesapeakeMinor MythsCaptain Lawrence's Last WordsThe Longest-Serving Officer in the Royal NavyThe Cruise and Capture of the U.S. Frigate EssexHow Effective Were Jefferson's Gunboats?Did the French Navy Help the U.S.?Privateers—"The Militia of the Sea"The Role of American PrivateersThe Role of British PrivateersThe Battle of Lake ErieThe Northern TheaterHow Quickly Was Perry's Squadron Built?Why Did Barclay Lift His Blockade?Perry's LuckThe "Burlington Races"The Battle of Lake ChamplainWho Used Hot Shot?Where Was the Greatest Naval Arms Race of the War?4 Soldiers, Sailors, and CiviliansRating Madison's PresidencySir George Prevost's LeadershipArmy LeadershipWho Were the Best British Generals?Who Were the Best American Generals?Who Were the Worst Generals?Did Wellington Refuse the American Command?Who Were the Best British Naval Commanders?Who Were the Best American Naval Commanders?Who Were the Worst Naval Commanders?5 The Mechanics of Waging WarTactics and Conventional WarfareBritish Tactical DoctrineAmerican Tactical DoctrineArtilleryCongreve RocketsThe Brown BessThe Springfield Model 1795RiflesThe Pennsylvania RifleThe Baker RifleBritish Rifle UnitsThe BayonetSupplying a Wilderness WarAmerican Supply RoutesBritish Supply RoutesWhat Was the Impact of Logistics?What Were the Most Impressive Marches?The Great Rope WalkFort Malden or Fort Amherstburg?Fort Michilimackinac or Fort Mackinac?Fort Oswego or Fort Ontario?Why Did Soldiers and Sailors Desert?What Was the Desertion Rate?How Were Deserters Punished?Andrew Jackson and DesertersCivilian SourcesMilitary SourcesSpiesIntelligence Coups and DisastersMartial Law in the United StatesMartial Law in Canada and British-Occupied TerritoryThe Battle of Malcolm's MillsThe Battle of New OrleansNew Orleans and the Southern TheaterWas the Battle Fought after the War Was Over?Did the British Seek "Beauty and Booty"?What Was Jean Laffite's Contribution?Did Riflemen Win the Battle?How Close Did the British Come to Victory?What Would a British Victory Have Meant?What Was the Last Battle of the War?The Peace NegotiationsDid the War Annul the Paris Peace Treaty of 1783?The Indian Barrier StateWhen Did the War End?Estimating CasualtiesAmerican LossesIndian LossesWho Won the War?Could the U.S. Have Conquered Canada?The NortheastEpilogue: The Legacy of the WarChronologyAppendix A: "The Hunters of Kentucky"Appendix B: "The Bold Canadian"Appendix C: Shipwrecks and Rebuilt ShipsAppendix D: The Name of the WarNotesIndexBack cover

About the Author :
DONALD R. HICKEY is a professor of history at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. His books include The War of 1812: The Forgotten Conflict, which won the National Historical Society Book Prize and the American Military Institute Best Book Award.

Review :
"War making and mythmaking go hand in hand in Hickey's analysis of the misconceptions, embellishments and falsehoods that continue to shape Americans' views of the War of 1812. In describing the complicated origins, conduct and outcome of the conflict, Wayne State College history professor Hickey shows how myth has helped construct a history that we can understand and accept. Three 19th-century writers in particular-British naval historian William James, American popularizer Benson Lossing and man of letters Henry Adams-promoted already familiar stories of the war. While Hickey investigates, analyzes and critiques a spectrum of legends about the war's roots, its campaigns and armed forces, and its military and political leadership, he's no mere debunker. Stories like Col. Henry Johnson's killing of Tecumseh in hand-to-hand combat survive his scrutiny. And Capt. James Lawrence did say, "Don't give up the ship"-though those were not his last words. But Jean Lafitte's role in the Battle of New Orleans is diminished to the advantage of his brother Pierre. And blacks played a long-neglected role on both sides. These are only a few of the revelations awaiting readers of this richly textured model of historical revisionism, which confirms Hickey's status as a leading scholar of the early national period. 10 photos.(Aug.)" - Publishers Weekly, June 12, 2006. "Donald R. Hickey's unique study Don't Give Up the Ship!: Myths of the War of 1812 addresses the myths, half truths, and realities of the forgotten last Anglo-American conflict. . . . The book provides a starting point for those seeking further information regarding the conflict and it should take its rightful place on the bookshelves of all War of 1812 buffs and scholars." - Journal of the Early Republic "Hickey's book deserves a wide popular readership. It also succeeds in broadening the scope of what academic historians should be looking at in the War of 1812." - Journal of Military History "Don't Give Up the Ship! belongs on the shelf of everyone deeply interested in, or who writes about, the War of 1812." - Naval History "Well written. . . . Hickey's treatise is an important contribution to the historiography of the second US conflict with Great Britain. . . . Highly recommended." - Choice "Don't Give Up the Ship: Myths of the War of 1812 is a detailed, exceedingly well documented examination of the War of 1812 and the major events surrounding the war." - Journal of Southern History