The third theater of operations, besides the naval and Canadian one, was focused on the British push towards the capital city. Although successfully burning out Washington, the British were discouraged by the strong hold of Fort McHenry and the battle of New Orleans, in which they were defeated by Major General Andrew Jackson. As the Treaty of Ghent was signed in December 1814, news of this came to the American and British forces almost two months after the signing, putting also an official end to the war. As with Baltimore's fight, the defense of Fort McHenry, the author reminds the reader of another important information on the significance of this war. The battle of Baltimore later inspired Francis Scott Key to compose the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner" which later became the national anthem of the United States.
As the author goes on with the war narrative, he introduces various descriptions of some of the most significant leaders of that period. He does a great job in mixing events and people dispersed in a large space as the North American continent as well as over a period of almost 10 years. What seem to miss in many parts of the book are the effects that these events and these people had on the communities and peoples of America or Canada. Nevertheless, the book...
It also contains various maps of significant events of the war that make the book easier to read and understand, offering a visual understanding of the theater of operations.
Borneman's argument, that the 1812 war is the basis of American unity may sound inaccurate, as in popular history these events are not analyzed to the full extent. Yet this book has sufficient information to present this thesis as a valid one, taking into account only the fact that the United States was never after 1815 involved in war on its own territory (even with the Pearl Harbor events on 1941). Also, the Canadian border transformed from a conflict zone to a peaceful zone. It might also be argued that one of the reasons for which the United States became a solid nation is that it moved its focus away from the Eastern conflicts and se forward for its Western territorial discoveries. As New England lost its influence in being the sole center of American politics and power, the West and the influence of new settlers became bigger, creating what is now a strong multicultural and multifaceted continent.
Bibliography
Borneman, Walter. 1812: The War That Forged a Nation. Harper Perennial, 2005
