Propaganda as a war tactic

Bringing the battlefield to the page

By Emily Burton Sherman, 2011 NEH workshop “Crossroads of an Empire”

The power of words in the War of 1812

Newspapers were a growing industry in America at this time, reaching more readers further from central city hubs than ever before– New York state had 31 newspapers in 1795 and

reached every county with very little, if any, censorship

But the British saw “public words as potentially dangerous, exciting emotions hat could provoke deadly revolts” (Taylor 70)– Only one in British Upper Canada (Ontario) at that time

– Was highly censored prior to publication, a big no-no in the newspaper world of today.

But newspapers back then had a bit less concern with good reporting

Example: During the British colonies’ (who would later become the U.S.) war with the French in the French and Indian War, several colonial newspapers ran story to bolster British feelings of supremacy over French and portray French men as evil, child-stealing husbands. However, no one could prove any truth in the story and historians believe it was fiction based on hearsay.Did that stop colonial newspapers from printing it? Absolutely not.Today, it would be a tabloid story only and NOT acceptable it true newspapers with any sort of good reputation.

Excerpt from “news article”“A private letter from Albany, informs us, that when The French Prisoners, lately taken at Niagara, arrived at that City … an English Woman, Wife to one of the soldiers that was in General Braddock’s Army, having been taken Prisoner by the French at that Time of the Defeat of General Braddock, and supposing that her Husband was slain [in the battle], during her Imprisonment, married a French [soldier], by who she had one Child, being with her Husband coming Prisoner through Albany, was there discovered by her former [British] Husband, who was then on Duty there: He immediately demanded her, and after some Struggles of Tendreness for her French Husband, she left him, and closed against with her First; Tho’ it is said the French Husband insisted on keeping the Child, as his Property, which was consented to by the Wife and first Husband.”

• From “Seige – 1759: The Campaign Against Niagara” by Brian L. Dunnigan, Old Fort Niagara Association, Inc. New York, 1996

Modern tabloid translation:“We’ve intercepted a private e-mail that tells the story of a beautiful wife of a British soldier who thought he was killed in the latest battle with the French. So when the French took her prisoner, she was forced to marry a French soldier for her own protection. When her husband was captured, she followed him as the prisoners were marched on display through Albany, New York. But, to her absolute delight, her British husband spotted her in the group and they were reunited. Though she had a moment of doubt about leaving her French husband, as they had a child together, she dried her tears and ran happily into the arms of her dashing, brave British soldier and resumed her marriage with him. But her evil, cowardly French ex demanded she give up her beautiful child to him as his rightful property. This is all the more reason to hate our enemies as cowards and crooks. But, in order to resume her happy, preferred marriage to the dashing, brave British soldier, and escape the clutches of the evil French loser, this brave woman gave the brat up and moved on. We can only hope she lives happily ever after.”

The War of 1812’s battle of words: Federalists versus Republicans

After the Revolutionary war, back in the states, those newly-created American citizens still loyal to England created a political party called the Federalists– Federalists were painted by opposing newspapers as

blood-thirsty allies of Haudenosaunee (known by us today as the Iroquois) bent on encouraging scalping and plundering the goods of the frontier settlers in the name of the king.

Those Americans who were (still) against the British called themselves Republicans– Federalist newspapers claimed Republicans were

secretly in league with Britain's enemy, France, and wanted a dictator government with Napoleon.

Is either claim true?

Actually, no– Both views of Federalists and Republicans were put

forth by politically bias news articles meant to appear factual but actually based on personal opinion only with the intention of furthering personal beliefs.

– This is what we call propaganda: • In other words: Personal or political beliefs stated in the media

meant to sway public opinion but which are not based on fact or have slanted the facts.

And this propaganda helped fuel the country’s bitter political division, that will eventually lead to a form of media civil war in the early 1800s.

Soon the Canadian media joins in the growing discord in the states

This propaganda put forth by the Federalists and the Republicans in the states worked its way into British territory, tooGideon an Silvester Tiffany, two brothers from New Hampshire, tried to quietly ‘modify’ the content of the Upper Canadian Gazette in 1796 to favor more news from the states – which brits saw as a war of words and promptly fired the brothers.

What was the problem?

The main issue with the Tiffany brothers:– A speech by King George III got no play in the

paper.– One chief justice fumed the speech was “the

finest thing in Modern History, & which ought to be circulated in all his dominions, & got by heart by all his Subjects, has never made its appearance [in the paper] while every trifle related to the damned States is printed in large characters.”

But…

While the Tiffany brothers’ paper later failed, the fledgling country’s perchance for printing uncensored “trifles” would later play a large part in the War of 1812

…You know, the War of 1812, America against the British after the Revolutionary War? Ok, maybe we should quickly review

It all starts in 1803…British fighting against with French in Europe and needed more sailors for extensive navy, so ‘impressed’ thousands of U.S. men from U.S. ships while minding their own business, sort of speak, in 1803-1812.British army continues its association with Haudenosaunee in the upper U.S., seen as “stirring up trouble” and instigating bloody attacks on settlers.U.S didn’t want to abide by previous treaties created by British with Haudenosaunee to protect natives’ ancestral homelands from grasping, greedy settlers (as they saw it.)– The new U.S. government resented the seemingly arbitrary boundary lines

in their own country that seemed more like cages and hindrances to progress than the rights of native nations of people AND desperately needed money from the sale and use of those lands and natural resources.

Lastly, and most importantly for journalists, the Federalists and Republicans are ruthlessly attacking one another in the press through propaganda, creating the civil turmoil in the press that sparks the War of 1812, America’s first civil war by some historian’s standards

To sum:

America was still seen as a weak, petty upstart with little power by the British and treated thusly.Americans didn’t appreciate the British teaming up with the Haudenosaunee against our settlers.Americans had land lust for new territories, even though the British had tried (somewhat) to preserve old treaties protecting just that.Overall, this was an extension of the Revolutionary War – America against British for autonomy and citizens’ rights – and a civil war between the Federalists and Republicans in the media.

So who was caught in the middle?Haudenosaunee separated on the issue of which side to support, which weakened their own nation of allied tribes.Some certainly joined the British, sealing their fates with those of the redcoats.Some, though, fought with the Americans, which, soon after the war, Americans seemed to forget.In short, the Haudenosaunee fought with both sides but, through the use of propaganda, were vilified in the U.S. media.They paid for it heavily after the war, through the eventual loss of autonomy as a nation and the loss of nearly every acre of ancestral land, save for a few small reservations.

Who were the players?Among dozens of politically-bias newspapers of the era of the War of 1812, many stand out in history.Examples:– National Intelligencer – a slightly Republican paper

funded in part by the U.S. government– The Aura – a Federalist newspaper in which personal

attacks and gossip were readily reportedBoth political parties ‘duke it out’ in a war of words and propaganda against military and political leaders of the day through the nation’s newspapers.Personal attacks, hearsay and just plain fiction were all commonly found in these newspapers

The Aurora:

“Absent officers now on furlough … will join their respective corps or regiments immediately.”

J.B. Walback, Adjutant general

- May 27, 1814

National Intelligencer:

Was the only source for national government news in early 1800sOther newspapers “borrowed” items in the Intelligencer to include in their own pages.During War of 1812, becomes a daily paper in order to sate American’s thirst for newsPartially funded by U.S. Government, so not completely unbias

So what were some examples of propaganda from early 1800s?

“By an advertisement in our paper, if will be seen that the joint committee, appointed to investigate the election of Mr. Findlay, wish to bring some of the good folks of Cumberland county to Harrisburg, in order to have the pleasure of laughing at them. We would advise the gentlemen who signed the petition from this county to stay at home less unhappily they might come off worse than [Mr.] Cochran and Thackara, and not only have their [complaints] but themselves, thrown under the table.”– The Aurora, 1818

A ‘report’ to justify violence in the War of 1812

During the war, American troops savagely plundered and burned York (now Toronto) despite specific orders for restraint.In order to cover up this lack of control over its soldiers and excuse the horrible destruction, U.S. military leaders planted a story in their report that the troops were justified in the horrors because they found a human scalp (assumed to be American) hanging in plain view in the town’s parliament building (Taylor 217).It served to further vilify the Haudenosaunee as savages working for the British.

Reports on Americans at the time…

Rev. John Strachan, a cultural and political activist in York during War of 1812.– “This new nation are vain & rapacious and without

honour – they are hurried on to any action provided they gain money by it.”

Told American-born majority living there:– “You have been adopted into our family and received

as children. Let then obedience and submission to the laws mark your conduct, and as you receive protection, our king [of England] has a just claim to your service.

Americans fire back:

George McClure, commander of Fort Niagara, 1813, had published wildly exaggerated accounts of Native American cruelties against Americans on behalf of the British– But he didn’t care about the truth, he wanted

more volunteers to join the Army.

McClure’s (Republican) call to arms“On the west, behold your brethren under faith of a surrender shut up in a combustible dwelling and there burned to death by inches! Or, if they escape the fire, see them tomahawked by savages and their dead bodies kicked about the highway until they are devoured by hogs and dogs! Can the vengeance of God sleep? Can the indignation of man be stifled?”... “Advance then, Americans, defenders of your country’s rights, avengers of her wrongs, protectors of your wives, your children, and your friends.” (Taylor 248).

…and his tirade against cowardsThis is a Republican view of Federalist soldiers who refused to cross into Canada with him due to a clause in their service contract, which they used to avoid gruesome, bloody battles in which many likely would be maimed or killed.“Let them return amidst the mockery and contempt of their friends and neighbours and wear out their life in sloth and infamy. They shall be standing objects of scorn and their children’s children shall blush to acknowledge them!” (Taylor 248)

The result?Propaganda such as this only served to fuel the heated divide in America during the War of 1812, nearly driving some states to succeed from the union and destroy the fledgling U.S. government.– While America won more autonomy from the British

by war’s end, it nearly succumb to a very heated political divide fueled by propaganda in the media.

The Haudenosaunee, also vilified in American media as savage scalp hunters for the British, never recovered from the bad press and paid in the next 100 years with their lives, their culture, and their land.

Now what?Read your assigned primary document illustrating propaganda generated during the War of 1812.

Use the four square graphic organizer to closely examine the document and its meaning.

We will discuss your findings as a class once everyone is finished on his or her document

Then, students will be broken into groups of four for a short group research presentation regarding other types of propaganda in modern conflicts (see assignment handout)