The Battle of Lake Champlain: A "Brilliant and Extraordinary Victory"

chellers

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John H. Schroeder (Author)
University of Oklahoma Press (March 10, 2015)

On September 11, 1814, an American naval squadron under Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough defeated a formidable British force on Lake Champlain under the command of Captain George Downie, effectively ending the British invasion of the Champlain Valley during the War of 1812. This decisive battle had far-reaching repercussions in Canada, the United States, England, and Ghent, Belgium, where peace talks were under way. Examining the naval and land campaign in strategic, political, and military terms, from planning to execution to outcome, The Battle of Lake Champlain offers the most thorough account written of this pivotal moment in American history.

For decades the Champlain corridor—a direct and accessible invasion route between Lower Canada and the northern United States—had been hotly contested in wars for control of the region. In exploring the crucial issue of why it took two years for the United States and Britain to confront each other on Lake Champlain, historian John H. Schroeder recounts the war’s early years, the failed U.S. invasions of Canada in 1812 and 1813, and the ensuing naval race for control of the lake in 1814. To explain how the Americans achieved their unexpected victory, Schroeder weighs the effects on both sides of preparations and planning, personal valor and cowardice, command decisions both brilliant and ill-conceived, and sheer luck both good and bad.

Previous histories have claimed that the War of 1812 ended with Andrew Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans. Schroeder demonstrates that the United States really won the war four months before—at Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain. Through a comprehensive analysis of politics and diplomacy, Schroeder shows that the victory at Lake Champlain prompted the British to moderate their demands at Ghent, bringing the war directly and swiftly to an end before Jackson’s spectacular victory in January 1815.

About the Author
John H. Schroeder is Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He is the author of Commodore John Rodgers: Paragon of the Early American Navy and Matthew Calbraith Perry: Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806146931/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Disclaimer: This post is neither a recommendation nor solicitation by CivilWarTalk or Chellers. It is solely for informational purposes.
 
John H. Schroeder's written a couple of other books I've read:
  • Schroeder, John H. Matthew Calbraith Perry: Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2001. 264 pp.
  • Schroeder, John H. Shaping a Maritime Empire: The Commercial and Diplomatic Role of the American Navy, 1829-1861. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985. 219 pp.
While his area of concentration is pre-Civil War, he's a good writer, and I'm sure the Lake Champlain book is worthwhile as well.

One bone to pick, though... I think it's a stretch to say that the U.S. "won" the War of 1812. (I'm guessing that's an error of the publisher's publicist, though, and not Schroeder's.)
 
John H. Schroeder's written a couple of other books I've read:
  • Schroeder, John H. Matthew Calbraith Perry: Antebellum Sailor and Diplomat. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2001. 264 pp.
  • Schroeder, John H. Shaping a Maritime Empire: The Commercial and Diplomatic Role of the American Navy, 1829-1861. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1985. 219 pp.
While his area of concentration is pre-Civil War, he's a good writer, and I'm sure the Lake Champlain book is worthwhile as well.
I agree we didn't win the war but we did win the peace










One bone to pick, though... I think it's a stretch to say that the U.S. "won" the War of 1812. (I'm guessing that's an error of the publisher's publicist, though, and not Schroeder's.)
 
That route was of equal importance during the Revolution a generation earlier. I wonder if the fate of Burgoyne influenced the British not to pursue this invasion any further.
 
Been going up that way since I was a boy. Beautiful area rich in history from the French and Indian Wars to the War of 1812.
 
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