The Financial History of the War of 1812
THE FINANCIAL HISTORY OF THE WAR OF 1812 Lisa R. Morales, B.A., B.M., M.Ed Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2009 APPROVED: Randolph B. Campbell, Major Professor Denis Paz, Committee Member G. L. Seligmann, Committee Member Ronald Marcello, Committee Member Michael McPherson, Committee Member Richard McCaslin, Chair, Department of History Michael Monticino, Interim Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Morales, Lisa R., The Financial History of the War of 1812. Doctor of Philosophy (History), May 2009, 218 pp., 1 table, references, 207 titles. The War of 1812 brought daunting financial challenges to the national government of the United States. At the onset of war, policymakers were still in the process of sifting through a developing body of American economic thought while contemplating the practicalities of banking and public finance. The young nation’s wartime experience encompassed the travails of incompetent and cautious leadership, the incautious optimism that stemmed from several previous years of economic growth, the inadequacies of the banking system, and, ultimately, the temporary deterioration of the financial position of the United States. While not equivalent to great tragedy, the war did force Americans to attend to the financial infrastructure of the country and reevaluate what kinds of institutions were truly necessary. This study of the financing of the War of 1812 provides a greater understanding of how the early American economy functioned and the sources of its economic progress during that era. Financial studies have typically not been a primary focus of historians, and certainly with regard to the War of 1812, it is easy to understand a preoccupation with political and military affairs.
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