That sense that we thought it was important to present an exhibition on the war of 1812. My name is rachel. I was assistant curator for 1812 a nation emerges. The exhibit is large. There are nine sections in all, 107 pieces. We set out to do this exhibit on a grand scale, getting all the best we could from all over the world. The first section of the exhibit which deals with america in 1800 is dominated by the portrait of thomas jefferson. Gilbert stuart had a rare ability, recognized by contemporaries, of capturing the inner essence of people. If you look at this portrait of jefferson, it is very unlike some other portraits. Image is that of a shy man, and jefferson publicly was a very shy man. Want ton did not involve the United States in a war. His first term had been extremely successful. He had operated very well with congress, was able to get really all of his bills through. He had successfully negotiated the purchase of the louisiana territory, which doubled the area of the United States, and he eliminated a great deal of the deficit in america. It was in the second term in which he ran into great difficulties. The second section of the exhibit deals with the causes of the war. Often have reasons for going to war, but fortunately rarely do go to war. I believe it was very much up to james madison. The portrait we have here is a Gilbert Stuart portrait in 1804. By 1811, he has concluded that Great Britain will not stop its interference in our trade and will not stop impressing our sailors until great as an britain defeats napoleon. That under this trash or he will change his view about the desirability of war and ask congress for a declaration of war. This section is a lot different than many others in the exhibit area right away there is the lightness over this area. This is Dolly Madison, by Gilbert Stuart, and is really special. Dolly was very important during this era because she was the social center of washington. On wednesday nights, every week she would have a reception at the white house. They became popularly known as squeezes, because so many people would show up to these receptions. Anyone was invited. Anyone was welcome. Many of the madisons political enemies would come to dollys reception because it was a politically neutral territory. The medicines were great levers in if you knew someone on a personal level and became friends madisons were great believers in if you knew someone on a personal level and became friends. Creamhad punch and ice and all of the great delicacies of the day. Young debutantes who came to learn from dolly and married dashing young 1812 officers. One of my other favorite figures is Margaret Garrett smith, one friends. S close she is a great writer and much of what we know about dolly is from her. My favorite quote in the whole exhibit refers to dolly. Margaret was asked about a biography she wrote about dolly. She said, everything that i said was true. I just didnt tell the whole truth. It is great and infuriating at the same time for historians. It really sort of captures the glamour of the era and what a force all he was. Said,ry clay famously Everybody Loves ms. Madison. And of course, her equally famous response, that is because ms. Madison loves everybody. One of madisons major problems was the lack of an army, and especially an officer corps. What madison has to rely on our Older Services officers who served in the revolution, many of whom have retired. William hall was one of those officers and in the exhibits we have a portrait by Gilbert Stuart i think we have 11 or 12 Gilbert Stuart orchards in does notition hall want to fight in 1812. Medicine convinces him, and gives him a major responsibility him, andn convinces gives him a major responsibility for command of fort detroit. Officers ofetter the war from Great Britain is stationed there, and his name is isaac brock. We have his uniform here. And one of the great native american warriors will march to fort detroit in the summer of 1812. Hallss aware of william fear of native americans in battle. It wasnt a totally irrational fear. There were massacres. Hall was quite obsessive about it. Brock is aware of this weakness. He sends hall a letter before attacking the fort. He warns william hall that [indiscernible] him, andraves are with he says, quite cleverly, i am not sure i can control them. William hall reads this letter, and we have testimony by officers who were there hall begin sweating, he begins drooling, he begins sobbing. Hes not able to deal with the situation at all, and he will surrender the fort without a shot. This will hit americans like a lightning bolt. They did not expect anything like this. Them of anybuse false notions about how this war will proceed, and what will be the resistance in canada. Moment, it will change all of this or it will erase all of this optimism, this kind of war fever that occurs in america in june and july of 1812. One of our goals in choosing portraits for this show was to get pieces that were done from. Ife that isnt always possible. A great example of that is tecumseh. This piece is a great example of how tecumseh came to be seen by the american public. Ecumseh was not on our side he did not fight for the americans. Do was country tried to create a coalition of the native tribes in the west to unite and join with the british to try to stop american expansion into the west. Cause, heely for his died fairly early in the war in 1813. Most historians tend to believe he would have been successful. Leadera very charismatic , both american and british officers who met him were very impressed with him. He was called the wellington of the indians. This piece itself is pretty extraordinary when they rolled it in here. They took the opportunity to weigh it. Piece ofry heavy marble. It comes in at 3000 pounds. Its a very impressive piece that captures the warrior ethic and the romantic image of tecumseh, and also what was lost for native americans during the war. They talked a lot about who won the war of 1812, and theres much debate about that. Everyone agrees that the major loser of the war was the native americans in losing their land through losing the support of the british in the west. The painting behind me is by thomas burch. This particular painting is the battle of lake eerie. It is one of the two major inland waterway battles of the war. Had sentjames Madison Perry to lake yeary lake ee rie to engage the british fleet on the lake and ensure american control of the lake. All of the boats on the inland lakes have to be constructed there. There was no way of getting them other than constructing them there. Perry does this, and he meets the british ships in battle. The flagship is destroyed. He miraculously is able to get move to another american ship, and win the battle. Mostll then send the famous battle report in history to the then commander of the area. We have is great portrait by rembrandt peale. He sensed this report to harrison. This report to harrison. We have met the enemy, and they are ours. It is a major victory. It will prove very decisive in the peace negotiations later. Many pieces in the show, but you always have favorites. This is one of my favorites. This is john norton. In a lot of ways, he was a more important native american figure then tecumseh, but almost no one knows about him. John norton was born to a scottish mother and cherokee father in scotland, was raised there, was educated, joined the british army, and was sent over to canada before the war of 1812 began. Once over here, he deserted and joined the mohawk tribe, where he was made a chief. Background in education, he was a great person to be sent back to Great Britain to the court to plead for native American Land rights. He was very popular in the court setting, and you can tell just by looking at his portrait he was certainly a character. Most people were not going around wearing chain mail at that time anymore. He very much dressed part, even aroundhe knew how to get in society. He knewart, even though how to get around in society. He was very critical in many battles and influenced the mohawk tribes to joining the british side as opposed to the american side. He did not die in the war, so maybe that has something to do with why he isnt remembered in a heroic light but tecumseh is. We dont actually know what happened to him. He was last heard from in mexico. Of the mosttely one fascinating figures related to this war that has been forgotten , and just a fantastic portrait. Aremost of the exhibition portraits, but we do have some objects here, very exciting objects. We have a model of the uss constitution, the most famous warship in 1812 and perhaps the most warship famous warship in American History. It was commissioned around 1919 by Franklin Roosevelt when he was then assistant secretary of the navy. Roosevelt selected about 20 Great American warships, which he wanted models made. The uss constitution would be one of them. It was given special care in terms of the detail. 1812, he had of met the british [indiscernible] guerrier andthe socket. The old sunk it. The old ironside moniker comes from that battle. Cannonballs bounced off the whole of the uss constitution hull of the uss constitution. The amazing thing about the constitutions first victory over the guerrier is that it came within days of william halls surrender of fort detroit. The commander of the uss constitution was a man named isaac hall. Name is not coincidental. He was the nephew of william hall. Days after william hall had surrendered for detroit, isaac hall the news comes right after the surrender of detroit. ,t has the opposite reaction has buoyed american hopes that success of success. This is winfield scott, a famous american general. More people are familiar with the scary looking early photographs around the time of the civil war. This is how he looked in his 20s just Getting Started out in dashing, veryry ambitious. He was described by his contemporaries as a god of war. 65 he was worried about being so tall. Most people would be at least a foot shorter. A very imposing picture on the battlefield. He went on to eventually throughout the entire United States military. He is probably best known for commanding the Mexican American war and mentoring many of the young officers that and then fought on both sides of the civil war. He was taking over from the old guard. They were holdover from the revolutionary war. He was probably the best representative of the new young guard coming up through the ranks. This is a very striking piece. Surprised by how modern he looks with this haircut. You can see that. Considering where we are in washington, d. C. , the burning of washington will always be very important. He was not actually in command on land. He very much advocated for it. Command of these of the forces. This was done a few years after the war was over. He was admiral of the fleet. He guarded napoleon in captivity. What does he choose to have in his grand portrait but washington burning at his feet alongside his roots with the capital burning over here on the righthand side. This is from the national these him outside london. This is never been to america. It is a very big deal to happen here. In many accounts of talks about the bridge is going up and down s street. Having the portrait here is really extraordinary. The man who is actually in charge during the burning of washington was Major General robert roth, a highly expected respected officer. He served under the duke of wellington and was sent to america to try to turn things around for the british. Capital, the the white house, the war department, the navy yard in washington he proceeded towards baltimore and at north point outside baltimore. He was killed by an american sharpshooter. Of history what if if he had not been killed whether or not the attacks on baltimore would have been whether it would have been an american victory. He was such a great force. This particular piece is very special. His descendents in northern ireland. This is usually in their house and has never been in public display anywhere much less america. It is one of the most exciting things about putting the exhibit together, finding these pieces in private collections and also with a Family Connection and bringing these pieces out for the public to see for the first time. When james and Dolly Madison moved into the white house it was not decorated. The previous president had not really done much as far as decorating this. Dolly set out right away to decorate the public areas that would be a suitable backdrop for her reception. She teamed up to do this decorating. When they came to decorate this long before it was the loom room. He was not able to get the material he wanted for the drapes in that room. There are great letters between him and dolly venting their frustration about this. He ended up going up with the fabric that he could get enough of. Does enough fabric get the job done. To be redd out velvet. Dolly stays in to the last moment. He is very famous for saying the port should of general washington portrait of general washington. This address belonged to Dolly Madison. She kept it until she died, long after she had sold all of her other possession including her husbands paper. This is made out of red velvet ear these two things together, the documenting of the drape, the stress that was very special led to out of red velvet the believe that this is probably made out of the drapes. It is a really great representation of seeing her in imagining this dress, you can see how the velvet has aged and is much more red than it appears now. Stresses 200ow the years old. It is a great dress representing dolly as a fashion icon. A portrait of Andrew Jackson was done by charge charles wilson. Was done in 1819. Madison will send Andrew Jackson jackson in the winter of 1814 to new orleans and tried to defend the city. We arrived at the city in december. The city is ready to surrender. The British Force has been led by a very experienced commander. Theing him was motherinlaw of the duke of wellington. Many of his soldiers are. Eterans of the napoleonic wars theyre among the best soldiers. N the war old in the world jackson will find a good defense position outside of the city. He will have about 4500 men. Enlists many against the fight of those from new orleans who do not want black fighting with whites. The area. Portrait in him totish also want fight him. The British Forced against him is about 5500 men. The casualty figures really tell the tale of the battle. It will be 2000 men killed. It is a decisive, massive but jury. Radiates out is terrifying. It will be president of the United States today. Americans here at jacksons victory. There were some other but trees on their minds. Victories, especially jacksons were really the biggest myth of the war of 1812. That is that america wins the war of 1812. It is entirely for that reason that i think the war of 1812 is so inconsequential. It will bring a surge of nationalism. Most are commenting on this. There is a greater sense of unity, nationalism. Starts start it takes. The word is not create these things. Different america than it would have been if we have lost the war. We had a night at the museum. They asked if it was one of dolly squeezes. They would all recognize each other. On most everyone says it would know almost everyone else. It is a small world. Never would truly expect to have the reason because of transportation at this time. You have henry clay from kentucky meeting the duke of wellington. They are both featured in this exhibit. Pieces to these images have never been brought together. Least in will again at my lifetime. It is really a great moment. For more information on the exhibit of 1812, this is their websites. This is American History television all we can every week. Nd on cspan3 200 years ago on august 24, 1814, reddish soldiers surrounded british troops. The victory left the Nations Capital wide open to forces that burned down the white house. Learn moretoday, about the battle and the burning of washington. We take you to the Waterfront Park for a discussion of the historian. By this time, a leather soldiers have been away from their homes for about three to four years. They were saying that the farm is following falling. Theyre taking supplies from us. There is a large problem with the desertion. Their heartstrings are being areas. By their there are several occurrences of this happening. Miserablestime les came out. There were several troops that were in the shop. Every weekend the 150th anniversary of the area. Francis scott key was originally opposed to declaring war against england in 1812. Next on American History television, mark leeson discusses the life story of the author of the starspangled banner. The National Archive posted this. Of the200 anniversary bombardment of baltimores fort mchenry will soon be upon us. On september 14, 18 14, after 25 hours of british bombardment, soldiers raised the flag that inspired an American Lawyer to write a poem that became our national anthem. We all know about the anthem, but the man behind the song is
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