Description
Book SynopsisBetween the Revolutionary War and the Civil War, the United States was embroiled in competitive inter-state politics. Although it did not directly involve itself in European affairs, the United States did engage regularly in dangerous struggles with other states and with colonial powers with territory on the American periphery. Aside from the War of 1812, the Oregon Crisis, and the Mexican War, other near misses included heredisputes of 1807 and 1809 with Britain, with Spain over East Florida in 181113, with Mexico in 1853, and disputes with Spain over Cuba in 185355 and with Mexico in 18581860have been ignored in the democratic peace literature. Scott A. Silverstone finds these cases particularly useful for testing alternative explanations of constraints on armed conflict, because the United States backed down each time, allowing each crisis to pass short of its full potential for violence.
Silverstone builds on a nascent theory of institutional constraints on the use of forc
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Silverstone addresses big questions about matters of war and peace in America's federal system, and he develops a carefully reasoned, nuanced, and persuasive theory on the central importance of regional politics in restraining the use of military force.
* Journal of Military History *
