I also would like to thank you Nelson. I found it very refreshing to read your "different" and broader perspective on the War of 1812. I personally joined this list in the hope of possibly learning anything else I could about the service of my g-g-grandfather, who I know as a 17 year old, served for 6 months out of Camp Holly in Virginia at the end of the war. Since I have had a hard time learning much of anything about his service, almost anything about the war is of interest. Although I know the general "facts" of the war and the general picture, I have never had a particularly deep understanding of the real dynamics of the time and the conflict. Although I personally have a number of Canadian ancestors, and even more English ancestors, I am an American. Generally speaking, I would say that Americans know and understand little about the War of 1812. There is a general perception that we "won" the war because we somehow defeated the British, but that's really about the extent of the picture. Clearly the reality was much more complicated, and the perception that evolved was different from the perception at the time. Any insight into the life of my g-g-grandfather and the world he lived in is of interest to me. Rick Waggener Walnut Creek, California

I suppose I'll have to "weigh in" here. I don't want to make anyone upset with me. I am an American and I do know the facts as well. I imagine that in England, Canada and the U.S., there are those people who love history and learn it and there are those people who do not. All of us know really intellegent people who know nothing about a subject, be it geography, math, photography, history or whatever. I know there are MANY Americans who know very little about the War of 1812. But, does that naturally follow that most everyone in England or Canada DOES?? I don't think so. I recognize that there are many different perspectives in any situation, and certainly, war would have more than most. I learned in history that what gave the "War Hawks" in Congress the power to push us into war was the impressment of American sailors into the British navy. While there were those persons who wanted war with Great Britain because they wanted to take Canada, it would not have moved forward without the impressment. It is true that all bids for Canada were lost. It is true that the battle of New Orleans was fought in January of 1815, and the peace had been signed weeks before that. It is also true that when war was declared, the Orders in Council in Parliment had already been repealed. Both matters of slow communication. It is true that Great Britain had not been sending their top of the line soldiers. It is true that the soldiers who fought at the battle of New Orleans were top of the line, but tired because of the fighting in Europe. Which is why they lost, maybe, to Andrew Jackson. But.... Whichever way you slice, Great Britain said UNCLE. We all know that if you forfeit, for whatever reason, you lose. Impressment stopped. Free trade began again. This is the way I see it. Just another perspective. Rose Jobe Unrue Kentucky USA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rick Waggener" <sequoia@pacbell.net> To: <WARof1812-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 10:53 AM Subject: Re: [WARof1812] re: Extension of Rev. War? > I also would like to thank you Nelson. I found it very refreshing to read > your "different" and broader perspective on the War of 1812. I personally > joined this list in the hope of possibly learning anything else I could > about the service of my g-g-grandfather, who I know as a 17 year old, served > for 6 months out of Camp Holly in Virginia at the end of the war. Since I > have had a hard time learning much of anything about his service, almost > anything about the war is of interest. Although I know the general "facts" > of the war and the general picture, I have never had a particularly deep > understanding of the real dynamics of the time and the conflict. > > Although I personally have a number of Canadian ancestors, and even more > English ancestors, I am an American. Generally speaking, I would say that > Americans know and understand little about the War of 1812. There is a > general perception that we "won" the war because we somehow defeated the > British, but that's really about the extent of the picture. Clearly the > reality was much more complicated, and the perception that evolved was > different from the perception at the time. Any insight into the life of my > g-g-grandfather and the world he lived in is of interest to me. > > Rick Waggener > Walnut Creek, California > > > ==== WARof1812 Mailing List ==== > WAR OF 1812 QUERY BOARD > http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USWARS/War1812/General > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >