# War of 1812



## p kirkes (Jun 30, 2008)

I don't recall any modern movie that revolves around the war of 1812, the battle of Fort McHenry.

I acknowledge my limitations about this event in American history save that's were and when Francis Scott Key penned the poem that became our national anthem.

What I have in mind is to write a screen play of this war using a multi thread technique with the main characters being Francis Scott Key, the British Admiral commanding the fleet and the Commandant of Fort McHenry.  

The background will be of course the cause of the war, it's progress up to the battle for Baltimore and the military need to take Fort McHenry.

Important supporting roles are the flag maker and her business, the lawyer that sent Mr. Key to the British, the black soldier that was killed in action and the bombardment crews of the British fleet and the American fort.

The time period of the drama will be over a short time span, after the background for the war has been established.  First, the arrest of the lawyer, the intercession of Mr. Key, the preparation of Fort McHenry, the need for a bigger flag, deciding it's dimensions and how it was constructed, the gathering of the British fleet and their associated logistics, the bomb ships (barges), their construction and armament.  All the characters and threads of this drama will be coming together to meet in that fateful 24 hours.

The drama will climax in the firing of the first ranging shells followed by a crescendo of bomb ships bombarding the fort, shell/bombs bursting, rocket and cannon firing and explosions in/on/above the fort.  The dense smoke and Erie red flames from the fort, make the scene surreal.  Shown will be the Americans cannon responding from the fort taking a toll (small) on the British fleet, maybe a misfire were a mortar blows up killing it's redcoat crew.  

The whole panoramic scene unfolds before Mr. Key and he is thus inspired to write, in stages as the night progresses, his poem until the dawn reveals that the American Fort's huge flag is still flying.  

Did you know that the British admiral had orders to withdraw his fleet if the flag was still flying at dawn?

How cool would it be to have Mr. Key softly intone the words "our flag is still there" as he hurriedly scribbles them down on the page. Then in the next moment, the lookout on the mainmast of the British command ship of the Line yells down to the admiral "their flag is still there".  And the British Admiral turning, echoing in disbelief "their flag is still there"?  Then turning  to his #2 gives the order to "withdraw the fleet".

The movie ends with the guns ceasing fire, the smoke clearing, the ships of the fleet making visible turn abouts, the Fort's commandant climbing to the top of the forts parapet with Sabre in hand and "Old Glory" shot through, torn and a little shredded proudly waving in the background.  Whew, what a movie that could be.  Stand up and salute.


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## Gunny (Jul 3, 2008)

p kirkes said:


> I don't recall any modern movie that revolves around the war of 1812, the battle of Fort McHenry.
> 
> I acknowledge my limitations about this event in American history save that's were and when Francis Scott Key penned the poem that became our national anthem.
> 
> ...



"The Bucaneer" with Yul Brynner as Jean Lafitte and Charleton Heston as Andrew Jackson centers on the Battle for New Orleans with the usual Hollyweird melodrama added.  The battle actually took place after a peace agreement had been reached between the US and Britain.  

The War of 1812 is not high on the list of "Great Moments in American History" considering they British sacked Washington DC, burned the Capitol,  and sent its inhabitants scampering into the countryside.  We actually were getting our asses rather soundly kicked for the most part of the war.  

A movie about the Battle of Ft McHenry (I believe it is actually the Battle for Baltimore Harbor -- not sure) would be rather boring.  British ships and Ft McHenry exchanging cannon-fire.


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## editec (Jul 3, 2008)

edited because I need to read before posting.


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## Annie (Jul 3, 2008)

GunnyL said:


> "The Bucaneer" with Yul Brynner as Jean Lafitte and Charleton Heston as Andrew Jackson centers on the Battle for New Orleans with the usual Hollyweird melodrama added.  The battle actually took place after a peace agreement had been reached between the US and Britain.
> 
> The War of 1812 is not high on the list of "Great Moments in American History" considering they British sacked Washington DC, burned the Capitol,  and sent its inhabitants scampering into the countryside.  We actually were getting our asses rather soundly kicked for the most part of the war.
> 
> A movie about the Battle of Ft McHenry (I believe it is actually the Battle for Baltimore Harbor -- not sure) would be rather boring.  British ships and Ft McHenry exchanging cannon-fire.


Gunny, I believe you are thinking of the Battle of New Orleans, in 1815, where the armistace was signed, but not Jackson or his British counterparts? 

Often called the 'Second American Revolution,' the War of 1812 accomplished nothing tangible for either side. However, during this war, America came together as a country, one that really did hold together without major schisms for the next 30 years or so.

* The American character coalesced as separate from Europe
* The Congress was convinced to fund a peacetime military
* It made 'permanent' the Revolution's outcome
* It made the western boundaries more secure


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## Gunny (Jul 4, 2008)

Kathianne said:


> Gunny, I believe you are thinking of the Battle of New Orleans, in 1815, where the armistace was signed, but not Jackson or his British counterparts?
> 
> Often called the 'Second American Revolution,' the War of 1812 accomplished nothing tangible for either side. However, during this war, America came together as a country, one that really did hold together without major schisms for the next 30 years or so.
> 
> ...



Can you restate your first question?  I thought that's what I said in regard to the Battle of New Orleans.

I will defer to your response as far as the rest.  The War of 1812 is one that was barely covered in school and I have had no real insterest in researching beyond that.  I think I posted everything about it I know.

Yul Brynner and Charleton Heston won it.


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## Annie (Jul 4, 2008)

GunnyL said:


> Can you restate your first question?  I thought that's what I said in regard to the Battle of New Orleans.
> ...



You're right, I read too fast. My apologies and hope your 4th is great!


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## BrianH (Jul 4, 2008)

p kirkes said:


> I don't recall any modern movie that revolves around the war of 1812, the battle of Fort McHenry.
> 
> I acknowledge my limitations about this event in American history save that's were and when Francis Scott Key penned the poem that became our national anthem.
> 
> ...



You'd have to be really careful making a movie about the war of 1812 to be really honest.  It's a great Patriotic thought, but if you really want it to stick, you'll have to find a way to make it less boring for the millions of people who actually don't know history.  Where as you and I might find it interesting, many will not, and unless it involves alot of battle scenes and intense combat, it simply won't fly with most of the public.  One thing that really yanks my chain when it comes to movies, are movies with very little battle scenes, or very boring ones.  Jar-head was a floating turd IMO...it was a Full Metal Jacket knock-off that had little to no fighting.


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## editec (Jul 4, 2008)

I agree that the war of 1812 accomplished little tangible results.

I also agree that the intangible benefits were significant.


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## Gungnir (Jul 5, 2008)

Had President Adams not cut the Navy expansion (and Jefferson not followed through with the cut) would the War of 1812 have happened?


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## editec (Jul 5, 2008)

Gungnir said:


> Had President Adams not cut the Navy expansion (and Jefferson not followed through with the cut) would the War of 1812 have happened?


 
Good question.

No idea.  

Perhaps it would have happened a LOT more on the open seas givemn that impressment was such a problem.

there were a lot of unresolved tensions still left over from the Revolutionary war.

British troops were still occupying some areas in American you know.

The battle for fishing rights off the St Johns banks was very important, as well.

Other things I've forgotten were pressing issues that were annoying both sides, too.

I think we'd have gone war, personally regardless of our Navy.


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## Gungnir (Jul 6, 2008)

If we had more warships on the ocean, would the British have been so eager to "impress" our sailors? We might have had a few more "incidents" though which could bring war on more quickly. 

I don't doubt that war was unavoidable, but I question how it could have been changed. For instance, if we had secured the Canadas, there probably would have been a third war.


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## Chris (Jul 6, 2008)

God was on our side in the War of 1812.

The day after the British occupied Washington D.C. and burned the White House to the ground, their forces were hit by a terrible storm that damaged their ships, and they had to abandon the city after only 26 hours.

Did tornado wreak havoc on War of 1812? - Roanoke.com


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## Charles_Main (Jul 11, 2008)

IMO the war of 1812 was the real end of the revolution started years before. It was not until after the war of 1812 that Britain finally started treating us like a Nation and not a lost possession.


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## editec (Jul 17, 2008)

Charles_Main said:


> IMO the war of 1812 was the real end of the revolution started years before. It was not until after the war of 1812 that Britain finally started treating us like a Nation and not a lost possession.


 
Agreed but only to some extent.

Great Britian's basic contempt for any nation not actually great was pretty evident

Background
The British delegation was composed of the minor diplomats William Adams, James Lord Gambier, and Henry Goulburn. Meetings were often delayed a week or more as the British diplomats lacked the power to make direct negotiations and waited for orders from London while the American delegation, composed of John Quincy Adams, James A. Bayard, Sr., Henry Clay, Albert Gallatin, and junior member Jonathan Russell, had full authority to negotiate.
The United States had been unsuccessful in its invasions of Lower and Upper Canada, while Britain had not made any significant gains, except for the burning of Washington D.C., with its retaliatory raids on American soil. War Hawks in Congress wanted to conquer Canada and Florida.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-0>[1]</SUP>

*[edit] The agreement*

The treaty released all prisoners and restored all war lands and boats, that is, returned to America approximately 10,000,000 acres (40,000 km²) of territory near Lakes Superior and Michigan, in Maine, and on the Pacific coast.<SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-1>[2]</SUP> The treaty made no major changes to the pre-war situation, but did make a few promises. Britain promised to return captured slaves, but instead a few years later paid the United States £250,000 for them.<SUP class="noprint Template-Fact">[_citation needed_]</SUP> The British proposal to create an Indian buffer zone in Ohio and Michigan collapsed after the Indian coalition fell apart. The weak guarantees regarding American treatment of the Indians in article IX were ignored.


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## Gungnir (Jul 23, 2008)

Copied and pasted from where?


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## wayne (Jul 24, 2008)

Gunny;712336
The War of 1812 is not high on the list of "Great Moments in American History" considering they British sacked Washington DC said:
			
		

> Washington was burned because the civilian militia ran like rabbits. After the war of 1812, the US placed much more emphasis on a professional army. It was the end of the revolutionary era.


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## BrianH (Jul 24, 2008)

wayne said:


> Washington was burned because the civilian militia ran like rabbits. After the war of 1812, the US placed much more emphasis on a professional army. It was the end of the revolutionary era.



Still wouldn't make a very rivetting movie.  Unless it involved alot of cloak and dagger type things.


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## RetiredGySgt (Jul 24, 2008)

wayne said:


> Washington was burned because the civilian militia ran like rabbits. After the war of 1812, the US placed much more emphasis on a professional army. It was the end of the revolutionary era.



Washington was burned because we burned the capitol in Canada as I recall. It was retaliation for that act.


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## Charles_Main (Jul 25, 2008)

RetiredGySgt said:


> Washington was burned because we burned the capitol in Canada as I recall. It was retaliation for that act.



I just read a book on this war.

DC was attacked in retaliation for the burning of York(modern day Toronto) Not sure if that was the Capitol of Canada at the time or not, but that is why the Brits Burnt the white house and other buildings in DC.

As far as the the militia running this is true, but the fault also lies with the William Eustis the secretary of war at the time. Who repeated advised president Madison that DC had absolutely not Strategic value and therefore the Brits would not attack it. I suppose you could also fault Madison, for not ignoring the secretary and ordering  DC properly protected. The book made it pretty clear Madison was afraid they would attack DC, so maybe he should have.


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## Rhys (Aug 3, 2008)

Gunny said:


> The War of 1812 is not high on the list of "Great Moments in American History" considering they British sacked Washington DC, burned the Capitol,  and sent its inhabitants scampering into the countryside.  We actually were getting our asses rather soundly kicked for the most part of the war.



Don't you think that, though it produced a fine patriotic song, the war in America was VERY small beer compared with the serious fighting in Russia celebrated in 'War and Peace' and the 1812 Overture, which was real epic stuff?   Most US wars weren't forced to play second fiddle in this way.


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