UK/Irish History


Feature Writer: Joseph Allen McCullough
Joe in the Lake District, Stephanie McCullough

Sometime before the start of the first millennium AD, the Celtic people of Western Europe took to boats and settled the two islands later known as Britain and Ireland. Since that time, the history of these two islands has been interconnected. The Irish invaded and created Scotland. The Norman British later returned the favour and launched an invasion that started centuries of fighting that lead to the political division of Ireland today.

Amidst this constant fighting, the two island have produced many of history's biggest names: King Arthur, St. Patrick, Henry VIII, Shakespeare, Thomas Moore, Duke Wellington, Queen Victoria, Winston Churchill, and so many more.

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Miniature Tudor Barn, Joseph McCullough
feature articles
Joseph Allen McCullough

Writing Boxes

In: Georgian/Victorian Britain

Called Jefferson Boxes in America, the writing box was a staple piece of furniture of the wealthy in Georgian and Victorian Britain. more...

1812 at Sea

In: Georgian/Victorian Britain

In 1812, the small American navy, led by the ships USS Constitution and USS United States would shock the Royal Navy. more...

Cadwallon ap Cadfan

In: British Dark & Middle Ages

Emerging from the gloom of the Dark Ages, Cadwallon was one of the last of the British kings to overthrown an Anglo-Saxon Kingdom. more...

Ine

In: British Dark & Middle Ages

Ine was neither the son nor the father of a king, but in his laws he left a lasting legacy in England. more...

Magna Carta 1215

In: British Dark & Middle Ages

In 1215, King John was forced to sign Magna Carta, a document that imposed limits on royal power and serves as the basis for modern British law. more...

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feature blog
Joseph Allen McCullough

Apr 28, 2008

Arrogance in War

Despite being a “forgotten war”, there is at least one lesson that can be learned from the War of 1812.


As I continue my long, page-flipping journey through Jon Latimer’s book about 1812, I have been struck again and again by the theme of arrogance. The War of 1812 was brought about more or less by arrogance. Despite Britain’s desperate situation fighting against Napoleon, it was only arrogance brought on by overwhelming naval power that made them think that they could stop American ships and seize sailors off them, and not face any consequences. In response, it was only a great degree of American arrogance that could have ever convinced them to go to war with Britain. At the outbreak of the war, America had a small army, with only a few aged veterans and Indian fighters to lead it.

When war was declared, both sides arrogantly believed that Britain would rule the waves, and that the US would be unstoppable on the land. In both cases, that arrogance led to disaster. The Americans sent a poorly led, poorly organized attack into Canada that was bloodily repulsed. On the seas, the British sent inferior ships and inferior sailors to fight the Americans and promptly lost several ship actions.

War is always a last resort and it has no room for arrogance. Arrogance blinds people to the true challenges and the true cost of an undertaking. We would do well to study these mistakes of our forefathers and do our best not to repeat them.

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