Opinion : 200th anniversary of the beginning of the War of 1812

June 2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the War of 1812. This event, usually overlooked in most history books and courses, was a very important part of the Early American Republic and of North American history.

The war is notable for several things. It marked the first time in US history that a Constitutional process was followed to declare and prosecute a war. Second, it also marked the end of the British presence, politically and militarily, in the Old Northwest Territory (modern-day Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio). Third, it began the establishment of the United States armed forces as skilled professionals, competently trained, and with standardized, quality equipment. Prior to that war our Army and Navy were undersized, poorly trained, and with substandard equipment. Fourth, it demonstrated how sectional interests within the nation could be used for, and against, the national wellbeing; the roots of United States economic and social policies that led to the Civil War are directly traceable to this time. Finally, the war can be said to be one of the earliest examples of the 19th century concept of “Manifest Destiny”, in that the US government did use the war as an opportunity to annex Canada as well as to seize lands from Native Nations.

Many people know of the war for the British policy of impressment, the burning of Washington, DC, the Battle of New Orleans, and the writing of the “Star Spangled Banner”. The truth is quite more complex. I had the honor of attending a class through the National Endowment for the Humanities concerning the war, and one thing many Iowans may not know is the impact the war had on our future state. A few battles were fought here: Fort Madison, in southeast Iowa, was attacked and burned resulting in the only time US soldiers were killed in combat on Iowa soil; Major Zachary Taylor, future President, lost a battle near Davenport to a combined British-Native force. Not far away near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, another US fort was attacked and surrendered. As a consequence of the war, many Native Nations in the Old Northwest Territory, including the Meskwaki, were removed to the west—at that time, Iowa and Minnesota. This removal, and the subsequent fear of Natives by early settlers, likely delayed Iowa’s statehood by as much as 20 years.

The bicentennial era for the War is from 2012-2015. Honor the memory of this time by taking an opportunity to visit Fort Madison or Prairie du Chien. Decorate or caretake an 1812 veteran's gravesite. The war was extensively fought on the Great Lakes; several sites are available to visit should you choose to go there. Your Canadian friends will celebrate this war as the beginning of the national Canadian identity; your Native friends may mourn an identity lost. Take time to explore and learn these perspectives.

All of us must remember this often overlooked but crucial time in North American history.

Alexander Vasquez