The Divisions over the War of 1812
The current war in Iraq is far from the most controversial war in American history. Even the Vietnam War might not be. The War of 1812 almost degenerated into a civil war, with northern states talking about seceding from the nation rather than support this war. In Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times, H.W. Brands writes:
Few admitted publicly to feeling closer to Britain than to Virginia, but their constant carping against Madison and the war made it clear where their loyalties lay.We've got a similar problem today.