Raisin’ Awareness of America’s Forgotten War

Miniature diorama at Raisin River Battlefield

“Remember the Raisin!”—granted, it’s not the most familiar battle cry. But long before “Remember the Alamo!” or “Remember the Maine!” entered the lore of American history (from the Texas Revolution and Spanish-American War, respectively), these stirring words roused Americans to avenge a major battle loss to the British and their Indian allies. The Battle of the River Raisin took place south of Fort Detroit, in what was then the Northwest Territory, during the War of 1812.

This often “forgotten” conflict is experiencing its bicentennial year: 200 years ago, the war that provided the inspiration for the “The Star-Spangled Banner” and that has sometimes been called America’s “second war of independence” pitted the young republic against its former colonial master, Great Britain. Despite its name, the war was hardly over and done with all in one year. It lasted 32 months, until early 1815, ending in a practical stalemate. The Treaty of Ghent restored U.S.-British relations to the status quo ante bellum (as is before the war), and virtually none of the Americans’ war objectives were achieved. In fact, the most significant U.S. victory of the war, at the Battle of New Orleans, came after the signing of the peace treaty. However, the War of 1812 had a significant legacy for the young republic.

Among the important results of the War of 1812 were the

• demise of the Federalist Party, which was viewed as unpatriotic for having opposed the war and having organized the secessionist Hartford Convention;
• breaking of American Indian power east of the Mississippi River and the ending of Indian alliances with Great Britain;
• encouragement of western expansionism that would come to characterize American foreign policy for the rest of the nineteenth century;
• launching of many political careers, including those of Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, John Quincy Adams, and James Monroe; and
• writing of what would become the National Anthem.

Image credit: Photo/The Monroe Evening News, Josh Farley

Related Links

•         The War of 1812: Remember the Raisin!
  Read about the obscure battle from the “forgotten” war that cost almost as many American lives as the Revolutionary War itself.
  (Source: Smithsonian magazine, June 2012)
•         The 10 Things You Didn’t Know about the War of 1812
  This Smithsonian article attempts to set the record straight about the causes and consequences of the War of 1812.
  (Source: Smithsonian magazine, June 2012)
•         War of 1812
  Explore History.com’s resources on the War of 1812; includes videos on the American Flag that flew over Fort McHenry and Dolley Madison’s rescuing of George Washington’s portrait from the burning White House.
  (Source: History.com; accessed July 31, 2012)
•         The War of 1812
  Learn about the PBS film commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812.
  (Source: PBS; accessed July 31, 2012)
•         River Raisin: National Battlefield Park (Michigan)
  Visit the website of one of the major battlefields of the War of 1812; includes details of the battle’s history and cultural context and a virtual video tour of its Heritage Trail.
  (Source: National Park Service; accessed July 31, 2012)
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