The War Of 1812 And Its Effect On Foreign Relations

The War of 1812 was a war that lasted for two years that helped the United States to firmly and officially establish its independence. After finishing with the concern of France, England turned its attention over to the United States. At first, the United States did not want to resort to war and fighting (Doc. B) but rather sort out their issues economically--because England had seized all ships that did not stop in the British port before heading to their other European destinations, Congress passed the Embargo Act and then the Non-Intercourse Act, allowing trade with all nations except France and England. Then, England refused to allow this trade to occur, so America had to resort to war. The Northeastern Federalists were not in favor of

Leading up to 1812, many conflicts occurred that lead up to the War of 1812. After gaining independence from Great Britain, the United States was still not acknowledged as a country. The nation was being treated as if it were still a British colony. The most apparent reasons for the War of 1812 were the French Blockade, Impressment, British-Indian Alliances, and War Hawks. The war of 1812 was the result of many built up tensions between the United States and Great Britain after America’s independence.

The war of 1812 was caused by several different reasoning’s. First, Britain was at war with France. However, Britain did not want the United States to provide France with food and supplies. This would lead to Britain setting up a particle blockade. Second, between the years of 1802 and 1803 the British had captured (kidnapped) about 6,000 American sailors forcing them to work on British ships. Third, many of the American settlers believed that the British were stirring up the Native resistance to limit settlement. Finally, members of congress like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun had started to sire up about the ideal of war. This was based off of their resentment towards British violation of maritime rights and Britain’s encouragement of Native American hostility against American expansion in the West.

The War of 1812 was caused by the many conflicts with Great Britain and France. Even though the United States had made many efforts to stay out of the Napoleonic Wars, the conflict was not avoided. The United States had three primary reasons for declaring war: impressments and violations of trading rights, Indian conflicts, and a desire for western territory.

To understand the War of 1812 we have to look at the Napoleonic Wars for it was during this time that both Great Britain and France began to harass American trade ships. The United States attempted to remain neutral; they wanted to have peaceful trade with both countries but France and Great Britain began to restrict American

The War of 1812 had a strange lack of victors, but to fully comprehend its effects, one must first evaluate the causes of the war. Each nation involved in the war had a very specific set of goals they wished to accomplish. Initially, the United States aimed to stay neutral in the affairs of Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars until the two rivals attempted to restrict American trade. In an effort to combat this, President Jefferson passed the Embargo Act of 1807, which banned trade with all foreign countries. The act, intending to deprive the world of American trade, backfired and was later replaced with the Non-Intercourse Act to instead ban trade with only Britain and France. America's unwillingness to trade with the two caused tension that was intensified by the British policy of impressment.2 The resulting “anti-British sentiment” was greatly encouraged by the War Hawks, a group led by Henry Clay that supported war with Britain. They ardently pursued the end of impressment due to the Chesapeake-Leopard Incident in which the HMS Leopard boarded the USS Chesapeake, took four prisoners, and executed one thinking that they were British deserters. Once discovering that they were not, Britain returned the

The harm of trading rights and citizens were one major cause of the War of 1812. Great Britain was known to have been interfering with U.S rights to use the sea. “Great Britain, in defiance of this incontestable right, captures every American vessel bound to, or returning from, a port where her commerce is not favored; enslaves our seamen, and in spite of our, perseveres in these aggressions.” (Document 1) The Americans feared that they would lose all their trading rights to Great Britain. If the American leaders did not do something soon, then Great Britain would take over American trading ports. “… Which shall we do, abandon or defend our own commercial and maritime rights, and the personal liberties of our own citizens employed in exercising them? These rights are essentially attacked, and war is the only means of redress.” (Document 2) For Americans to regain their freedom of trading they had to declare the War of 1812.

The War of 1812 is often referred to as the United States's second war of independence because, like the Revolutionary War, it was fought against Great Britain. The Conflict resulted from the clash between American nationalism and the war Britain and its allies were waging against the empire of Napoleonic France. Many Americans believed that England sought to humiliate the United States, limit its growth, and perhaps even impose a quasi‐colonial status upon its former colonies.

The War of 1812 had America gather global respect for battling Great Britain for the second time in short time span. The war also proved the U.S.’s military, and additionally strengthened its army. The U.S. absorbed the methods of properly training its servicemen, and it now had battle ready men in charge. This feature would help the U.S. create one of the most powerful militaries in the world. The War of 1812 also strengthened America’s economy. The British blockade of America’s coast forced the U.S. to manufacture goods it normally imported, so after the war dependence on foreign countries was greatly diminished.

Victories such as Lake Erie, Chesapeake bay, and the Battle of New Orleans all showed sovereignty,good leadership, and unity. An American Perspective on the War of 1812 by Donald Hickey states, “-all these [battles] showed that with proper leadership and training American fighting men could hold their own against the well-drilled and battle-hardened regulars of Great Britain”. The strength of American that had been seen by all countries gave America an advantage for trade and alliances in the future because they proved to be worthy. Countries wouldn’t want to try to take advantage of America seeing they could hold their own on the world’s strongest military. This gave America better alliance opportunities to lessen the amount of wars and or to gain support during war. Also with America’s sovereignty it sparked nationalism within the states which would make citizens more likely to join the army and participate in government and overall spread a good attitude across the nation to unite the nation further. The United States also showed its sovereignty during the Embargo Act. During the Embargo act America was at an all time low with its imports crashing from $108 million in 1807 to $22 million in 1808. America was the rope in the tug of war between Britain and France but it held strong and wouldn’t break. Even at this all time low and little experience the United States declared war on Britain. The

Although, many individuals consider the War of 1812 to be a battle between America and the Great Britain, it initially began as a result of the conflict between France and Great Britain for world domination from 1993 to 1815. During this time, America’s economy prospered as the issues within Europe negatively impacted trade. However, this struggle for power ultimately encompassed the United States as well. For example, Donald Hickey states, “But it wasn’t long before the British and French, who wanted to deny each other the benefits of American trade and resented the young republic’s rising prosperity, began using flimsy excuses to seize American ships as prizes of war” (Hickey). Hickey demonstrates that the French and British were the central cause for the involvement of the U.S., although, the aggressive actions of Britain primarily caused the War of 1812.

With the Impressment, the USS Chesapeake incident, and the Embargo Act, these events were causes that kept leading up to the war of 1812. There were many events and situations after the Revolutionary War involving the British, so many Americans came to conclude that going into another war against Britain might not be a terrible idea. With the Impressment, the British were capturing men and forcing them into naval service. The USS Chesapeake incident was because of the British ship Leopard stopping the Is Navy ship and trying to take all there sailors and the British started open firing when the captain wouldn't let them. During the continuance of the Embargo Act, all ships and vessels in the ports and harbors of the United States confined to the navigation of bays, sounds, rivers, and lakes. According to all of these documents it states that the British were involved negatively in all of them against the Americans.

Even though the United States was not in the greatest place both politically and economically, the war of 1812 proved to have great results. These included the ending the British impressment of America ships, as ships were no longer pawns between the British and French. Additionally, the Mississippi River at the gulf of Mexico was finally the jurisdiction of the U.S. Finally, political relations improved significantly between the U.S. and the British which improved their overall economic relations. Overall, when comparing the before and after of some changes, the War of 1812 was important and necessary as the British really didn’t accept America’s Independence and this war essentially forced the British to realize that America was a force to

The war of 1812 was also known as the “second War of Independence”, for some it may even be known as the “Forgotten War”. It was an important conflict with long lasting consequences, especially for the Native Americans in North America. The main cause of the war was America’s desire to expand its territory (history.com “war of 1812”). Just like everything else in America’s history people were greedy and always wanted more. More land equals more workers which equals more money. Native Americans did not own land, land was known Mother Earth, everyone shared all she had to offer, nothing was taken for granted, nothing was wasted, everything had its own importance. When new settlers came to the Americas they were looking for new land, new territory for their settlements. Some did not know that the land already had settlers; Natives. Think of when you have visitors at your home, are you welcoming? Most of the time you are. That is exactly how the natives were with these new settlers. Though they did not speak the same language the natives offered a helping hand, just to get spit on in return. Not literally, but figuratively, the new settlers seen natives as people that could be changed. So that's what they did, they tried to assimilate the Indians teaching them the white man's ways. Many Indians did not know what was happening at the time and others caught on causing many uproars. The War of 1812 is just another one of those uproars. The war was not fought between American and

The War of 1812 is one of many wars that the USA will go through. The war is the first war that the new America would take part of and will be the first time the USA will declare war. The war lasted from June of 1813 to February of 1815, this is a span of two years and eight months. The war was fought by the United State verses the British. The war took place in many locations around the world which include the United States, Canada, on the high seas, New York, Michigan, and provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Some American faced Native American foes in the territories of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The was started when many of the Americans felt as if the British had not