1812: The War We Forgot
A Two-Hour Film History
The War shaped America in the most literal way possible: had one or two battles or decisions gone a different way, a map of the United States today would look entirely (and shockingly) different. The U.S. could well have included Canada - but was also on the verge of losing much of the Midwest, and perhaps the entire West to boot. The New England states, meanwhile, were considering secession just months before a peace treaty was signed. The fires of this war forged emotional bonds in Canada that were vital to its sense of unity, bringing it a long step closer to becoming a nation; at the same time, the result tolled the end of Native American dreams of a separate nation in the Northwest. By war's end, the process of Native American removal had already begun in the Deep South, paving the way for a Cotton Kingdom powered by slavery. And a United States that had been on the verge of collapse was ready to announce its arrival as a global power. The U.S. did not win the War of 1812, but the noble experiment of democracy had managed to survive intense pressure from without, and within.
The film will be made in High Definition for national PBS broadcast, and will be accompanied by outreach materials, including a corresponding website, ample teaching materials, a companion book, and a DVD.
A production of WNED-TV, Buffalo, N.Y. and Florentine Films/Hott Productions, Inc.
