Dropping Astern, by Michel Felice Corne (1752-184 5). Action between USS Cons ti tu ti on and HMS Guerriere, l ')August 1812, depicting Guerriere's main andfore masts collapsingfrom the effects of Constitution's fire. This early victory in the Wtzr of1812 boosted Americans' morale, giving them hop e that they could overcome the might of the powerful Royal Navy on the high seas. (inset) USS Constitution under sail in 1')')7. "Old Ironsides" is still a commissioned US Navy ship, stationed at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Regulars of the Royal M arines and Army, but their periods of enlistment were short, often for a single engagement, and the good folks of Upper Canada just wanted to be left to their own devices. The war passed in to American history books of the time, not as an eco nomic disaster and near-fatal debacle militarily, but rather as a rousing victory in which the fledgling United States defeated the greatest military might in the world, the conqueror of Napoleon, and the ruler of the Seven Seas. And they did it single-handedly! As modern historians reviewed the facts for more up-to-date histo ry texts, this outlook changed; maybe it wasn't such a great victory after all. With attitudes becoming more and more cynical over time, it is, perhaps, easier to understand why the war gets short shrift today; it's confusing at best and seems to have accomplished little. No t one of our great successes, like the Revolution, the C ivil War (if you are a Yankee!), and World War II. So why shou ld we even bother ro remember it, let alone make a big deal out of the bicentennial of the war? Because it was a great turning point in American and,
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indeed, wo rld history. The War of 18 12 for September of 20 14 to commemorate concluded a quarter century of rroubled the Siege of Baltimore and the writing of diplomacy, both here and in Europe, and the Star Spangled Banner. it marked the beginning of the "Era of The information we present will be as Good Feelings." Most importantly, at leas t up to date and complete as we can make to Americans, it showed the wo rld that it, but printing schedules m ay preclude our experiment in a republican form of inclusion of some last-minute details. You government could work and gave us entry will want to check the webs ites for the Navy to the wo rld stage as a nation, which had History and Heritage Command (www. earn ed the res pect of the other players. history.navy.mil), OpSail (www.opsail. Over the next year, as the actual bicen- org), and, of course, the National Maritime tennial approaches and celebratory plans Historical Society (www.seahistory.org) so lidi fy, Sea History will offer a variety of as the time draws near. j:, articles about the War of 1812 itself, som e of the specific events important to under- William H White is a maritime historian standing the war and its outcome, and and award-winning author who specializes some of the people who m ade their mark in the history ofthe US Navy during the Age on history during the three-year duration of ofSail. H e serves on the Board of Trustees for the conflict. We will, in addition, provide the National Maritime Historical Society, the information on the events planned fo r the USS Constitution Museum, and the Lynx Educelebrations. The "main events" of course cational Foundation. Mr. White is currently will occur in the first year, 20 12, in a large serving as chair of the NMHS Committee number of venues, but year-specific events for the Commemoration and Bicentennial of are planned fo r various ven ues in both the the Wtzr of1812 and the Star Spangled BanG reat Lakes and the Eastern seaboard. It ner. (For more details on the author, see page should come as no surprise that Baltimore, 47 of this issue or visit his website at www. Maryland, is planning a huge celebration sea.fiction. net)
SEA HISTORY 133 WINTER 2010-11