"War of 1812 - Who was the greatest hero?" Topic

My daughter's History teacher and I locked horns at Teacher Conferences about the relevance of the War of 1812.
OK. No territory changed hands. It was a tragic waste of life. Etc,etc… I guess that means the ACW isn't worth studying either.
Anyway, what about the pantheon of heroes and people of great Historical interest. Shouldn't every schoolchild know about, Oliver Hazard Perry, Decatur, MacDonough, Bainbridge, Harrison, Pike, Hull, Lawrence, Barney, Jackson, Harrison, Scott, the Lafitte brothers, F.S. Key, Dolly Madison, Tecumseh, Porter, etc.
Who would you pick? Land or sea, American, British, Canadian, Native American, or Baratarian?
I would pick Joshua Barney. He lived an amazing life.

Dolly madison

Andy Jackson was the most legendary but O. H. Perry is also a favorite.

Captain Broke of the Shannon

Isaac Brock

Tecumseh

I agree with Glengarry 4.

x42

I've always been partial to Winfield Scott

I'd go with Scott or Perry on the American side, perhaps Robert Ross on the British side.

The War had huge importance for the Canadians as well as for the US.

Muskogee miko Red Eagle.

Don't forget David Crockett. He fought against the red Sticks.

Eleazar P. Ripley…followed by Scott and Brown.

Brock and Tecumseh.

General Brock. He didn't believe in no win situations.

Tecumseh.

I second Tecumseh. If nothing else you should be able to twist the teacher's arm with him as a Native American history angle >;)

Well the no territory changed hands is a bunch of bull and never the sole cause for a war. Besides it secured the access to the great lakes without british interference.
In regards to land what about all of the Southeastern expansion into Muskogee lands and their gold fields. Also we defeated the British and Spanish to secure access to Florida.

That teacher would have gotten a failing grade in my college class.

Jean Lafitte, everyone likes a pirate.

Tecumseh for the British, Winfield Scott for the Americans

On the British/Canadian side Brock followed by Tecumseh, Ross, Cockburn, Morrison and De Salaberry --the latter two defeated American armies three and six times (repsectively)the number of their own troops.
On the American side Brown (most underated but successful general of the war) followed by Scott, Perry, Harrison and Jackson.

Clearly, the guy who made the Americans Give up the Ship…

In 2nd place, the guy who torched the White House

I see your Jean Lafitte and raise you Joseph Barss and Caleb Seeley.

Military wise I would go for Scott.
However, the guy that came out huge was Jackson hands down.

How about the snipers who downed Ross and Brock?

Morrison and James Fitzgibbon

No territory changed hands

For those of us living in Canada, that is the main significance.

As for the greatest hero, Laura Secord perhaps?

link

Winfield Scott

Laura Secord. Great Chocolates and a true patriot.

No territory changed hands

For those of us living in Canada, that is the main significance.

Except that it is historical fiction, with no basis in fact. The Treaty of Fort Jackson, signed in August 1814, ceded 1.9 million acres to the United States by itself.

The Admas-Onis Treaty, which followed as a direct consequence of the war even though it took Spain several more years and continued fighting until 1819 to recognize reality, swapped vastly more territory, including all of the present state of Florida.

Rick

Except that it is historical fiction, with no basis in fact. The Treaty of Fort Jackson, signed in August 1814, ceded 1.9 million acres to the United States by itself.

The Admas-Onis Treaty, which followed as a direct consequence of the war even though it took Spain several more years and continued fighting until 1819 to recognize reality, swapped vastly more territory, including all of the present state of Florida.

I think he meant none of our territory.

A great number of teachers move past 1812 to get right to the Jackson age (if they don't skip right to the compromise of 1850) but the fault lies not with the teacher, I would guess, but the state that created the curriculum he must teach- and you know Ross, etal are not on it. One aspect that I add to my unit on 1812 is its role in ending American expansion and replacing it with Westward expansion. Demilitarizing the Great Lakes is the biggest sign that our shot North was over. anyway, I vote Old Hickory.

NY Irish
Good point. But how can you teach about the demilitarization of the Great Lakes without teaching about the militarization of the Great Lakes. How many people know that if the war had continued, by Spring 1815 Lake Ontario would have had five 100 gun+ 1st Rate ships of the line and dozens of other vessels from super frigates on down.
I forgot about Samuel Reid and the privateer General Armstrong.

ceded 1.9 million acres to the United States by itself.

A war with the Creek? How did that have anything to do with freedom of the seas? Or did you just have a couple of wars on the boil at the same time?

even though it took Spain

Spain too? Which was rather busy with the French while you were at war with Britain?

I expect any Spanish inadequacies by 1819 had little to do with America's war with Britain, and a lot to do with the homeland spending too many years as a battlefield.

Jackson

I'm going to go with Harry Smith. Unless you mean during the war, I'm not sure he was the biggest hero then but from the war, he gets my vote.

The NY state curriculum has the War of 1812 well represented, but I teach the AP class so we cover a good deal of all this. As for "freedom of the seas" and the Creek the issue is not specific to "Freedom of the seas" and more to England's interference with American growth -through impressment/blockade etc on the seas and British support for an Indian homeland as a buffer to our west. While Tecumseh's force was mostly defeated by 1811, what was left of his Red Sticks fled to British Canada. We also claimed that continued occupation of British forts on our side of the Canadian border was acting as an incentive for hostile Indians and as a place for buying guns etc. The Creek War was a bit of a civil war for the Creek, as some supported Tecumseh's Red Stick movement and others some form of conciliation with the US. So. yeah, we had a couple of wars going on, but as far as the House of Reps was concerned, most of them could be traced back to England.

James Wilkinson!

Brock. Only because he died.

For those who lived, I'd say Strachan for the Canadians. Because of the Family Compact and all. I suppose the thread should then say "greatest impact" rather than "greatest".

Prevost, did a fantastic job. As did Andy Jackson on the Doodle side, even if he was a borderline war criminal.

Peter Porter is the most overlooked general. Did amazingly well for a militia officer.

Tecumseh for the First Nations, of course.

Lots of characters in this most bouffe of Opera Bouffe's.

Eric

Lt. Porter Hanks!

Laura Secord. Great Chocolates and a true patriot.

God's Elbow! I remember being 8 years old and gorging myself on those sickly fudge cups. Stuff only a kid could eat! There was a Laura Secord in the neighbourhood mall and I used to drag my mom there every time we went shopping.

As far as generals:

Brock for the British/Canadians

Winfield Scott and Andrew Jackson for the United States

and Tecumseh for the Native Americans.

Vincent, who just recently visited Horsehoe Bend were Jackson defeated the Creeks- an interesting battle site.

Jean Lafitte. The man knew a good opportunity when he saw one.

General P.Porter,Major Thomas S. Jesup-U.S.25th REGT.1814 actions,West Point Grad Major Eleazar D. Wood. Being just a tad prejudiced here (all 3 are U.S.lads)The U.S. Army of 1814(especially the Niagara Campaign)was now a force to be reckoned with.

"Shouldn't every schoolchild know about, Oliver Hazard Perry, Decatur, MacDonough, Bainbridge, Harrison, Pike, Hull, Lawrence, Barney, Jackson, Harrison, Scott, the Lafitte brothers, F.S. Key, Dolly Madison, Tecumseh, Porter, etc."

Why? Of what interest or importance are any of these characters to most school children?

Winfield Scott, Oliver Hazard Perry, Isaac Hull, Sir Isaac Brock, William Bainbridge, Dolly Madison and Tecumseh. I guess Jackson for New Orleans.

Dolly Madison? isn't that a cookie?

Jackson and Lafeatte. If not for those two, we would all be speaking English now!

I would say that the most overlooked and underappreciated general in US History in Winfield Scott. He was America's finest soldier from 1812 till the Civil War. Military manuals, reorganizations, brilliant Mexican campaign and involved in numerous other campaigns. Even in 1861 his mind was still very good but sadly his body had grown quite old.

Let's not forget the first United States hero: Stephen Decatur- much more "heroic" than Hull or Perry.

For the British/Canadaians, it has to be Brock. Without his skill and effort at organizing the Canadian defense, even the idiot US offensive in 1812 might have succeeded.