Making Maine: Statehood and the War of 1812

by Joshua M. Smith

Honorable mention for U.S. Maritime History, John Lyman Book Awards

After the Revolutionary War ended, the new American nation grappled with a question about its Were the states sovereign entities or subordinates to a powerful federal government? The War of 1812 brought this vexing issue into sharp relief, as a national government intent on waging an unpopular war confronted a populace in Massachusetts that was vigorously opposed to it. Maine, which at the time was part of Massachusetts, served as the battleground in this political struggle. Joshua M. Smith recounts an innovative history of the war, focusing on how it specifically affected what was then called the District of Maine. Drawing on archival materials from the United States, Britain, and Canada, Smith exposes the bitter experience of Maine’s citizens during that conflict as they endured multiple hardships, including starvation, burdensome taxation, smuggling, treason, and enemy occupation. War’s inherent miseries, along with a changing relationship between regional and national identities, gave rise to a statehood movement that rejected a Boston-centric worldview in favor of a broadly American identity.

360 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2022

About the author

Joshua M. Smith is Associate Professor of Humanities at the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He earned an AS from Maine Maritime Academy, an MA in history from University of St. Andrews in Scotland, an MA in Maritime History & Underwater Archaeology from East Carolina University and a Ph.D. from University of Maine.

Reviews

[Dan Lutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know that Maine was originally part of Massachusetts? I certainly didn't. Making Maine is all about the War of 1812 and how that war gradually led to Maine breaking away from Massachusetts and creating its own state. The book is a really interesting read that I really enjoyed.

[Jerry Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read on how the War of 1812 played out in Maine and how that contributed towards the push for statehood. Very insightful, highly recommend for anyone with an interest in the history of the era and/or New England history.

[Don Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joshua Smith's book came out at the perfect time. Americans are generally discovering that some of our history has either been forgotten (as in no longer talked about) or has been taken over by myth. The War of 1812 is acknowledged generally, but the it wasn't really "won" by anyone, as it was a stalemate. Beyond the burning of York (now Toronto), Washington and the famous battles in Baltimore and New Orleans, little about the war is discussed today. Smith delves into a piece of the war that has been long forgotten, the political and socio-economic situation in Massachusetts' Province of Maine at the beginning of the 19th Century. Smith lays out the themes of the boook at the beginning of his introduction, "...the changing relationship between regional and national identities in North America, war's inherent misery, and Maine's statehood movement.

The war was especially hard for Mainers as they had to import a certain segment of food (flour was a major needed import). With their harbors bottled up by the Brits, many Mainers began to starve to death, and disease became rampant. The morale of the troops became an issue. On top of it all, the country was divided on what by some called "Mr. Madison's War".

For people interested in the era, this book is an eyeopener. America was still finding its "sea legs" after the Revolution, and the war provided a silver lining of the country finding a clearer path. The book is a culmination of 30 years of research by the author. Although Mr. Smith is an academic (he holds a PhD from the University of Maine and is the director of the American Merchant Museum in Kings Point, NY), this is not some wonky academic paper. It was written for all of us to learn and enjoy this incredible piece of our history.