The War of 1812 - Essay Example

Without question, there had been a strongly strained relationship between the United States and the British Empire since the conclusion of the war of independence.

The war was fought both the land and sea, and there were a number of different agents involved such as the Americans, United Empire Loyalists, Québécois, The British, Upper & Lower Canadians, American Indians, etc. After the British had defeated Napoleon in Europe more resources were freed up for the war effort and as such a more aggressive strategy was employed. Although neither side lost any major territory in the war the war was concluded with a number of treaties (Such as the Rush-Bagot Treaty) which helped lead to the un-militarized great lakes and helped lead to an un-militarized border between Canada and the United States that remains to this day.

As with any historical event such as a war, it is often the case that the issues surrounding it are not cut and dry. In the case of the war of 1812, the reasoning behind the declaration of war was not as simple as one would think. According to Horseman (1962), it was the case that the British engaged in a naval conflict with the United States that saw the commandeering of American vessels and seizing sailors on the grounds that they were deserters from British naval forces and as such were co-opted into British Service. Moreover, Strong trade restrictions were placed by the British on the United States and France (Which hurt American commercial interests) and lastly, many American Indians were being supported by the British to impede American expansion into the West (Of the American Continent).

Ultimately these grievances helped push James Madison to give a long speech to the U.S. Congress regarding American interests and British Oppression. Although this act was not specifically a declaration of war the act quickly saw the House of representatives make a declaration of war. Although there may have been a plethora of other factors, commercial interests and British restrictions on American expansionism featured prominently in the causes of the war.

Although the war saw no major territory changes between the British Empire and the United States of America it nevertheless fundamentally changed the United States of America. Firstly it formally represented that the United States was and remains willing to protect its interests through military means above and beyond simple survival. From this perspective, one could present the argument that the American War of Independence was a conflict that saw the United States engaging in a guerilla war with Great Britain, which was strongly aided by the French forces. However, in the War of 1812, the United States made a cohesive decision as a unified country to declare war and match a European superpower opponent head-on. The repercussions of this on the international stage would be that other nations would view the United States with a higher degree of respect.

In terms of three long-term consequences of the war, one could first argue that the conflict strongly affected American self-identity. In the case of the battle of Baltimore and its subsequent bombardment, the events inspired Francis Scott Key to write the ‘Star-Spangled Banner. On September 14th the newly designed and built American flag was raised above Fort McHenry (replacing the flag with the battle flag that had been destroyed in the evening) as a way for the Americans to indicate that their spirits could not be broken.

As a second long-term effect of the war, the subsequent treaties that ended the war helped establish demilitarized zones between Upper Canada (Canada) and the United States. From this perspective, this helped lay the foundation for the peaceful relationship that the two countries have with each other today.

Lastly one could present the argument that the war helped serve as an indication the United States should not be overzealous and ambitious in their military conquests. Although the United States knew that they had soundly beaten the British in the war of independence they believed that they could have a ‘repeat performance’ of this event. Ultimately no land was won or lost by either side however the Americans lost more than 2,000 soldiers in the conflict and approximately 17,000 died from disease, moreover the war saw their newly established capital sacked and the White House burned. This war ultimately demonstrates both an American sense of strength and vulnerability.