Professor Cogliano on BBC Radio 4, 9am 31st Jan
Frank Cogliano, Professor of American History, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh, will discuss the Anglo-American War of 1812 with Melvyn Bragg and guests at 9am, 31 January, on BBC Radio 4’s ‘In our time’ programme.
The recording will be available to download from the BBC Radio 4 website afterwards, for anyone who misses it.
Extract
As the BBC Radio 4 website says:
“The War of 1812, the conflict between America and the British Empire (is) sometimes referred to as the second American War of Independence.
“In June 1812, President James Madison declared war on Britain, angered by the restrictions Britain had imposed on American trade, the Royal Navy's capture of American sailors and British support for Native Americans.
“After three years of largely inconclusive fighting, the conflict finally came to an end with the Treaty of Ghent which, among other things, helped to hasten the abolition of the global slave trade.
“Although the War of 1812 is often overlooked, historians say it had a profound effect on the USA and Canada's sense of national identity, confirming the USA as an independent country. America's national anthem, The Star-Spangled Banner began life as a poem written after its author, Francis Scott Key, witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. “The war also led to Native Americans losing hundreds of thousands of acres of land in a programme of forced removal.”
About Professor Cogliano
Professor Cogliano is the author or editor of nine books including, Thomas Jefferson: Reputation and Legacy, which was nominated for the 2008 American Studies Network Book prize.
He is one of the University’s International Deans for North America. He edited The Blackwell Companion to Thomas Jefferson and has recently completed a book, Liberty’s Emperor which considers American foreign policy and expansion during the early national period.
Other guest speakers
Other guest speakers on the programme will include Kathleen Burk, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London and Lawrence Goldman, Fellow in Modern History at St Peter's College, University of Oxford.