The War of 1812

Careless editing, especially in the pictoruals and maps, one that stood out is an inclusion of the George Washington Monument in a map and pictorial depiction of Washington DC during the war of 1812. The monument was not built until 1848.

I have no idea what PBS is attempting to perpetrate with this film. Referencing James Madison as "Republican" is factually incorrect. He was a Democratic Republican which was the forerunner of today's Democratic party. The film was rather accurate except for the obvious political slant While the Democratic-Republican Party is formally known as "Republican", it would be wise to inform viewers that this party is not the "Republican" party of today nor it's predecessor.

At the end of the film the narrator says "the US had gained nothing" by the end of the war. That statement alone gives reason to question the viewpoint and motives of this documentary. This film is pure and utter revisionist trash. Save two hours of your life and skip this "documentary"

I just read Pierre Burton's 800+ page The War of 1812 and wanted a quick synopsis of the events. This movie does a good job in doing so. As Pierre Burton points out the artifacts and written documentation of this wars are not intensely partisan or national. Many groups characterize this war as important milestone in their history. Future Canadians, Indians, Britons, Americans, Kentuckians, Slaves, etc. The reality of the motivation for this war and it's outcome is very complex. The movie does an outstanding job in narrating the event. Of course you cannot expect an in depth analysis in just two hours. Seems to me the subject would be prime material for a Ken Burns sequel.

As a follower of history, with particular interest in American History, I question the bona fides of the one of the featured historians, Andrew Lambert of King's College, in London. In the film, (at 7:08) he made a surprisingly inept comment for a supposedly learned scholarly historian. He said, "War was pushed by the Republican Party based in the center and south." The Republican Party was not in existence until 1854. Always beware viewers of history. Despite their seemingly scholarly credentials some "historians" might not know the history they profess to know.

Best not to view for historical accuracy.