War That Forged a Nation

War That Forged a Nation by Walter Borneman

The main thesis of the "1812: The War That Forget a Nation" that Walter Borneman put forward is that this respective war was the main factor in finalizing the American national identity. The book has as main focus the importance of the war offered through a narrative of the pre-war and war period, with a focus on the naval war and the Canadian front, with some references to the siege of Washington and the effects of Andrew Jackson military influence; and a more biographical method of analysis, a very comprehensive description of American and British military leadership. Borneman describes in details the evolution of army men like Americans James Wilkinson, Andre Jackson or Oliver Hazard Perry and British Sir George Prevost or Admiral George Cockburn.

Borneman's endeavor, to convince the reader that the 1812 war established the American Nation, as the title of the book also argues, is not an easy one. He build up his thesis on two factors that, he argues, gave birth to a unity that became the basis of American unity. This new sense of unity appeared from relatively small victories of the American Army combined with a new generation of military leaders that offered population not only the feeling of power but also that of a common attainable goal.

The book begins 10 years before the war, in an attempt to present the level of friction and fraction of the American States by picking the example of Vice President Aaron Burr, tried for conspiracy. Also, in the pre-war period, it is argued that Madison's leadership did not too enough to consolidate the feeling of a nation. The author presents in detail the naval war, as well as the other theater of operations, with a bigger focus on the Canadian front.

The naval war between the most important naval military force, that of the British Empire, and the American one gave birth, after the war, to a strong and significant U.S. Navy. Weak and without experience, the American naval forces, and especially the U.S.S. Constitution, won many naval battles and gave momentum to the war. Borneman creates a very good narrative on naval war, the story telling offering a very interesting reading experience.

In what regards the war fought between the Americans and the British in Canada, supported by Canadian militias didn't reach any clear results. Small victories for both camps were not enough to produce a clear winner. One of the reasons for the stalemate resulted in the 1814 Treaty was the fact that neither the American army was numerous or trained enough, nor the British one was focused in numbers and fire power as it was involved in the Napoleonic War.

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 is a very important tool to understand the causes but most of all the effects of the 1812 war. 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.