A War without Rifles

by James Norris Gibson

A War without Rifles: The 1792 Militia Act and the War of 1812 turns an eye to the conflict most overlooked by historians, even in a decade marking the bicentennial of the first declared war fought by the United States of America. James N. Gibson remedies this oversight by presenting his investigation of the interplay between the Militia Act, passed by Congress in 1792, and the conduct of the War of 1812. Despite the common perception that the act was never implemented, A War without Rifles documents its post-1792 history, noting, for instance, the requirement that each able-bodied American man own a military musket and the connection between the act's caliber clause and the shortage of rifles in the War of 1812.

After reviewing the -silent wars- with European powers in the years preceding the War of 1812, this history turns its attention to the war years. Plentiful and careful documentation roots the narrative in numerous primary sources. In addition, four appendices provide the full text of the Militia Act of 1792, records of debates, information on federal arms production, and lists of federal arms contracts with civilian manufacturers. One hundred figures provide an extensive gallery illustrating the history.

A War without Rifles: The 1792 Militia Act and the War of 1812 explores the 1792 Militia Act and its ramifications for the War of 1812, America's first declared war and the last time its soldiers supplied their own weaponry.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

338 pages, Paperback

Published June 22, 2016

Reviews

[Ann Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting analysis of the War of 1812 and the destructive part that the Militia Act of 1792 played in it. I especially enjoyed learning more about how the Native Americans helped on the U.S. side during the war. I was also intrigued by the discussion of the Little Ice Age climate conditions as they related to Napoleon's invasion of Russia. As a Librarian, I was dismayed at the typos and surprised that the book did not include footnotes. Thanks for the win of this book especially as it gave me several new perspectives on this war.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a first-rate study of the 1792 Militia Act (which remained on the books until 1903, as I recall) and its functioning (or lack thereof) between enactment and the close of the War of 1812. The title is taken from the repeated government efforts to discourage use of rifles (good for hunting but slow to reload in combat) in favor of smooth bore muskets.

[Craig McGraw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Brief history of the War of 1812. Skims over the burning of Washington and battle for Baltimore. A better book for that would be By Dawn's Early Light by Walter Lord