September 11, 2004
AMERICA'S UNFINISHED WAR:
From 1814, Tales Keep A-Comin' (JEFF Z. KLEIN, 9/11/04, NY Times)
The War of 1812 has lain mostly dormant in the American imagination for generations, its memory invoked only rarely, as in Johnny Horton's 1959 hit version of "The Battle of New Orleans" ("we fired once more, and the British kept a-comin' ") or in periodic retellings of the story of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Otherwise, the war remains an overlooked episode in American history, perhaps because it ended in a draw.
But the History Channel has been doing its best to make Americans remember the conflict, heavily promoting "First Invasion: The War of 1812," a two-hour documentary that it will show at 9 tomorrow night. Why this obscure war now? The key lies in the first part of the title. It is the documentary's contention that the War of 1812 teaches a lesson about the invasion of the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
That connection is explicitly drawn in the opening moments of the documentary when the words "September 11" fill the black screen over the sound of explosions and alarm bells and the voiceover intones ominously, "America is on the brink of annihilation." The screen then brightens to show cannon and soldiers in period costume, and the title changes to "September 11, 1814" - the date British forces advanced on Baltimore after burning Washington.
According to the documentary's view of the war, the fledgling republic perseveres against the enormous odds stacked against it by the powerful British military and its own disorganization. And if "First Invasion" backs off the Sept. 11 parallel soon after the opening, it does see the war as an inspiring lesson for Americans in a time of crisis.
"It is a story of courage, endurance and a little bit of luck," the narration says. "Forged by fire, united by will, a young nation defied the odds - and won."
But the documentary, from Native Sun Productions, tells the story of the War of 1812 selectively, leaving out large portions that would show American conduct in the war in a less successful and less glorious light.
There's still plenty of time to settle matters to the North. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 11, 2004 1:08 PM