America on the Brink: How the Political Struggle Over the War of 1812 Almost Destroyed the Young Republic

by Richard Buel Jr.

The fascinating story of how New England Federalists threatened to dissolve the Union by making a separate peace with England during the War of 1812.

Many people would be surprised to learn that the struggle between Thomas Jefferson's Republican Party and Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party defined--and jeopardized--the political life of the early American republic. Richard Buel Jr.'s America on the Brink looks at why the Federalists, who worked so hard to consolidate the federal government before 1800, went to great lengths to subvert it after Jefferson's election. In addition to taking the side of the British in the diplomatic dance before the war, the Federalists did everything they could to impede the prosecution of the war, even threatening the Madison Administration with a separate peace for New England in 1814.

Readers fascinated by the world of the Founding Fathers will come away from this riveting account with a new appreciation for how close the new nation came to falling apart almost fifty years before the Civil War.

Genres: History

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 15, 2005

About the author

Richard Van Wyck Buel, Jr., is a professor emeritus of history at Wesleyan University, where he taught until his retirement in 2002. He earned a BA from Amherst College and an MA and Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a good book. Its thesis is that the Federalists almost destroyed the country during the war of 1812. Its evidence: the Hartford Convention, which abjectly and ignominiously failed. Besides having little evidence for its central contention, Buel’s prose is leaden and confusing in equal amounts. One of the worst accounts of the era I have read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw some reviews that said this wasn't "academic", but intelligent. I found it rather dry, focusing so much on minutia that the big picture was lost. I bogged through, but repetitive, dry, suppositions wiped out all the enjoyment for me.

[Kyle Pichler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty interesting book about the clash between the federalists and republicans leading up to and through the War of 1812. I always knew that the federalists were aligned with Britain, but had no idea the extent to which they were hindering the young republic, especially with treasonous, secessionist ideologies. I agree with a previous review about the minute details of the book though - definitely not a light read, and some of the nuanced facts and quotes laid out would bog down casual readers.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interested in the second round of Federalist-Republican debates? This is the book for you!
4 stars for content, not writing.