Preservation, Education, and Commemoration of Naval History Vol. 51, No. 1 Fall/Winter 2011-2012 PULL TOGETHER Newsletter of the Naval Historical Foundation Master of His Trade; Leader of Men - p. 6 Also in the issue: Message from the Chairman, p. 2; War of 1812: A New Look, p. 3; Navy Museum News, p. 9 ; Naval History News, p. 17; News from the NHF, p. 20 Pull Together • Fall/Winter 2011-2012 1 Message From the Chairman On the masthead of our recent year-end funding appeal are the words Preservation, Education, and Commemoration of Naval History. This catch-phrase, a recommendation from our newly formed Advisory Council, captures the essence of our mission—past, present, and future. During the past year, we focused on the “education” component of the catch-phrase through the emphasis of a simple reality: The history of our Navy is also a history of technology. Hence the rationale behind our efforts to embrace STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as a means to educate students in our secondary school systems about the history and heritage of the U.S. Navy. Let’s face it—given that state standardized history tests often ignore military history, the prospects of injecting naval history into school history department curriculum are nil, since teachers are pressured to teach to the test. On the other hand, if we enhance the science, technology, engineering, and math curriculum with history (STEM-[H]), we have an opportunity to improve test scores in these technical areas—and give the next generation a dose on the importance of sea power. An outstanding addition to our staff is translating the above concept into reality. Capt. John Paulson graduated from the Naval Academy in 1971 and rose through the submarine force ranks to command USS Philadelphia (SSN 691). Along the way he picked up an advanced degree in applied science at University of California at Davis. Upon retiring, he received a master’s in secondary education from Old Dominion University and subsequently taught in the Prince William County (Virginia) School system for a decade. Since joining the NHF last spring, John facilitated our fi rst two groups of Teacher Fellows, translated the educational content the Teacher Fellows produced for our www.usnavymuseum.org website, coordinated with Naval Sea Systems Command and Purdue University Calumet on underwriting an education center at the Navy Museum, worked with NOAA and Dr. Robert Ballard of our Advisory Council to investigate means for real-time interaction with exploration vessels, and explored the possibilities of joint ventures with the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. Further details about these initiatives can be found in the “Navy Museum News” section of this newsletter. The National Museum of the United States Navy currently provides a good venue to execute these STEM-[H] initiatives and we applaud the arrival of Jim Bruns as the new museum director. With Jim’s commitment to making the Navy Museum a great venue in Washington and John Paulson’s STEM-[H] educational outreach initiatives, the opportunity exists to make the National Museum of the United States Navy a true national asset with lasting impacts on future generations. We welcome your support for this and other Naval Historical Foundation programs. If you haven’t responded to our year-end appeal letter, please consider doing so or donate online at our www.navyhistory.org website. Also continue telling your friends about us! This past year we doubled our membership—keep spreading the word! Bruce DeMars Cover: Portrait of Isaac Hull by Gilbert Stuart, c. 1807-1813. Hull P. Fulweiler collection. 2 Pull Together • Fall/Winter 2011-2012 COMMENTARY: THE WAR OF 1812: A NEW LOOK By Joseph F. Callo he bicentennial of the War of minister had suggested that Wellington trade and sailors’ rights. 1812 is approaching, and after go to Canada and take over leadership As the war approached, there were 200 years it’s time to change of the land war along the Canada‒U.S. also strong, emotionally laden politi- Thow we think about that war. To border. At that point Wellington had a cal and diplomatic cross-currents that support that proposal, I’m going to ex- deserved reputation as a successful fi eld shaped the decisions of President Madi- plore what I believe the narrative of that commander in the Peninsula Campaign son and then-British Prime Minister war has been and how we might change against Napoleon’s army. Wellington’s Spencer Perceval. And politics, as we it to make it more accurate and more rel- response focused on an important point: know, is often a force unto itself. evant to our own lives and times. While Madison was the leader in In the past there were heated—and That which appears to me to be want- the House of Representatives, he stead- mostly partisan—arguments about who ing in America is not a general, or a fastly resisted the pressure of those in won. Then in recent years, it became general offi cer and troops, but a naval Congress who were inclined toward fashionable to claim that the war was a superiority on the Lakes….The ques- war with Great Britain. Those advocat- stalemate, with the further claim that it tion is, whether we can obtain this na- ing war were mostly from the South, was a horribly stupid waste of life. val superiority….If we cannot, I shall along with expansionists from the then- Those two latter conclusions are do you but little good in America. (1) western states of Kentucky, Tennessee, easy to slide into if one simply con- and Ohio, who were anxious to push the centrates on the war’s military actions. Wellington understood the continu- United States’ borders to the west. For example, of 25 noteworthy naval ing strategic issues of the War of 1812, Notwithstanding the pressures com- actions, the U.S. Navy won 13 and the in this case the question of whether or ing from those inclined towards war with Royal Navy won 12. And along the Ca- not the British could take control of the Great Britain, Madison acted on his be- nadian borders bloody battles were won communication and supply routes rep- lief that he could avoid armed confl ict and lost but there was no major change resented by the Great Lakes and Lake by convincing Prime Minister Perceval in the border. Then on the one hand, the Champlain. Wellington wasn’t thinking that a major clash was inevitable, unless U.S. Navy won the critically important tactically. He was confi dent that he could Britain dealt with the issues of free trade fl eet actions on Lake Erie and Lake dominate in the fi eld in most situations and impressment. Madison was further Champlain and American privateers had with his experienced troops. He was in- convinced that Great Britain’s preoccu- a signifi cant effect on Britain’s vital sea stead emphasizing the kind of strategic pation in Europe with Napoleon would lines of communication. But on the other issue that gives context to individual ac- make Britain reluctant to open up a new hand, the Royal Navy was able to ap- tions and decisions. global warfront. ply a punishing blockade and a series of And context is very important when Madison was wrong on all of the successful expeditionary warfare raids trying to establish the true causes of the above. In fact, Perceval believed that against America’s Atlantic coast. War of 1812. The American declaration the regional political divisions within And so the discussions have rolled of war in June 1812 is generally attrib- on. But though it’s true that there was uted to America’s need to ensure “free no unconditional surrender by either trade and sailors’ rights.” side, and in a compilation of the results In the book Sea Power—A Naval of individual actions there was no clear History edited by E.B. Potter and Adm. winner, there were indeed some very im- Chester Nimitz, the circumstances be- portant, bottomline gains and losses for hind that battle cry are spelled out suc- each side. And those gains and losses cinctly: had long-term, geopolitical implications for both the United States and Great In the post-Trafalgar period the inten- Britain—and in fact for the world. sifying commerce warfare between One of the biggest problems with Britain and France left the United the current narrative of the War of 1812 States the only major neutral trader is, I believe, that there has been a ten- on the high seas. American merchant dency to focus on the main events as if shippers enjoyed unprecedented pros- they were free-standing, rather than parts perity both in the general carrying of a stream of interconnected campaigns, trade and as exporters of American battles, policies, and decisions. And the wheat, tobacco, and cotton. At the corollary of seeing the War of 1812 as same time American merchantmen a series of free-standing events is that and even naval vessels, caught be- tactical matters inevitably overshadow tween Britain’s Orders in Council and strategic matters. Napoleon’s retaliatory Decrees, were In the new book 1812—The Navy’s subjected to increasing interference War, written by George Daughan, a par- that eventually grew intolerable. (2) ticularly enlightening passage towards Portrait of President James the end quotes a letter from the Duke of That’s fi ne as far as it goes, but in Madison by Asher B. Durand, Wellington to the British prime minister reality there was more—much more—to at the time, Lord Liverpool.