Making Maine: Statehood and the War of 1812

The War of 1812 was a conflict between the American government and a populace in Massachusetts that was opposed to it. Maine, which was part of Massachusetts, served as the battleground, and Joshua M. Smith recounts the bitter experience of Maine's citizens as they endured hardships such as starvation, heavy taxes, smuggling, treason, and enemy occupation. This experience gave rise to a statehood movement that rejected a Boston-centric worldview in favor of a broadly American identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 360 pages
Publication date: 25 November 2022
Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press

After the Revolutionary War, the newly formed American nation faced a crucial question regarding its identity: were the states independent entities or subordinate to a powerful federal government? The War of 1812 brought this vexing issue to the forefront, as a national government determined to wage an unpopular war encountered a populace in Massachusetts that fiercely opposed it. Maine, which at the time was part of Massachusetts, served as the battleground in this political struggle. In his innovative history of the war, Joshua M. Smith delves into how it specifically impacted what was then known as the District of Maine. Drawing on archival materials from the United States, Britain, and Canada, Smith uncovers the bitter experiences of Maine's citizens during that conflict, as they endured numerous hardships, including starvation, heavy taxes, smuggling, treason, and enemy occupation. The inherent miseries of war, coupled with a shifting relationship between regional and national identities, gave rise to a statehood movement that rejected a Boston-centric worldview in favor of a broadly American identity.

After the Revolutionary War, the newly formed American nation faced a crucial question regarding its identity: were the states independent entities or subordinate to a powerful federal government? The War of 1812 brought this vexing issue to the forefront, as a national government determined to wage an unpopular war encountered a populace in Massachusetts that fiercely opposed it. Maine, which at the time was part of Massachusetts, served as the battleground in this political struggle. In his innovative history of the war, Joshua M. Smith delves into how it specifically impacted what was then known as the District of Maine. Drawing on archival materials from the United States, Britain, and Canada, Smith uncovers the bitter experiences of Maine's citizens during that conflict, as they endured numerous hardships, including starvation, heavy taxes, smuggling, treason, and enemy occupation. The inherent miseries of war, coupled with a shifting relationship between regional and national identities, gave rise to a statehood movement that rejected a Boston-centric worldview in favor of a broadly American identity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781625347015