War Of 1812 Causes

The War of 1812 was forced upon the United States unwillingly by the War Hawks of Congress, but their main goal was not to conquer Canada for expansion but to get back at Britain for the wrongs they have done to our nation. The War Hawks impacted the United States in political, social, and geographical changes within the United States between the years 1812 to 1815.

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

Aside from the “rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,” and the controversy surrounding its victors, the War of 1812 was best described as “perhaps the least remembered of American wars because it was fought in such a left-handed slapdash manner on both sides.” 1 The War of 1812 took place in a time shortly after the United States declared independence from Great Britain, but with this newfound freedom came some challenges. For example, Britain’s new lack of control over their American lands brought forth some underlying tension when it came to the cases of alliances and international trade. In addition to the pressure caused by Britain’s loss of power, Napoleon’s campaign in Europe piled on even more stress. This conflict escalated, bringing both sides to make foolish, rash decisions that eventually led to a war recognized by few. Though the War of 1812 is considered an American victory, it can be argued that there was no true victor due to a lack of success in achieving any original goals.

The War of 1812 was both costly and deadly for America, and yet, the war is often forgotten because the outcome did nothing to change anything from where it began. Typically, the end of a war signified a winner and loser by what was established, usually the gain of land. This is a significant reason it is considered forgotten, as there’s nothing gained or loss on either side! The majority of the war took place on or near Canadian soil, which was then a British Colony, near ports and the Chesapeake Bay. Because of the location, ships were used in the fighting.

Impressment of American sailors was the practice of Britain’s Royal Navy of sending officers to board American ships, inspect the crew, and seize sailors accused of being deserters of from British ships. It also forced American sailors into the British navy which infuriated Jefferson and American merchants. Impressment of American sailors was a major factor and one of the reasons for the War of 1812. On June 22, 1807, a British lieutenant boarded the Chesapeake (American ship), and demanded that the American commander, Captain James Barron assemble his crew so the British could look for deserters. He refused to have his crew inspected, and as a result, the British returned to their ships and fired at the Chesapeake. Three American sailors were killed and 18 were wounded.

In June 1812 the Unites States took on the most powerful in the world at the time, Great Britain, this war would not only define James Madison’s presidency but also the future of of the United States. However this war is known as the forgotten war, forgotten by the Americans and the British. On the other hand, it is remembered by the Native Nations and Canada. The big question that comes to mind is who won? Well it’s say to say that both side suffered great losses and great wins and some may say Canada got the upper hand. For a forgotten war it sure did have a great everlasting impact.

The War of 1812 is a war that stemmed from the Napoleonic wars in Europe into North America. It is a result of conflict between America and Britain and is now something that has left a mark on both American and Canadian history. For the Americans it is something that they are ashamed of and tend not to think about too much, but for the Canadians it has much more meaning. Some historians believe that this event, this success, is what sent Canada on its way to separating from Britain and becoming its own nation. The success of Canada in this war can be attributed to the leadership abilities of men such as Sir Isaac Brock and Tecumseh, the unity of Upper and Lower Canada as well as the need and want to fight on the behalf of citizens of these colonies. The good leadership, the unity of the colonies and the desire to defend themselves are the reasons for Canada’s success in the defense of their homeland and the defeat of the Americans in the War of 1812.

In this essay I will be discussing the major events and battles that took place during the War of 1812. It started in 1812 and lasted until the spring of 1815. There were three main causes for the war taking place, America trading with parts of Europe(France), the Impressment, and the possible desire on the part of the United States to annex Canada, The War of 1812 ended as a stalemate in the spring of 1815. The War of 1812 was a war that never should have been fought.

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.

Twenty-nine years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which ended the Revolutionary War between America and Britain, was the year that marked the beginning of a new conflict that would last America the next three years, the War of 1812. On June 16th of that year, President James Madison declared the start of a war that would greatly impact the future of our country. Britain, still one of the world's greatest superpowers, was currently warring with France at the time of the declaration, however, Britain's reputation as a formidable opponent stood strong. The War of 1812 held a great significance in the history of America: Reasonable purposes for conflict, major conflict with Native Americans, great controversy among its supporters and opposers, numerous honorable battles, the inclusion of African Americans in the war, a memorable conclusion, and notable results.

     With the American offences being stopped, and heroic men coming forth, Canadian nationalism was on the rise. Since most of the war had been fought in Upper Canada, retaining of the vast majority was as much a moral victory as a material one. The end of the war brought significant immigration from the United States into Upper and Lower Canada. Canadians resented this because they still regarded Americans as the enemy. Being banded together in the War of 1812 forced the people of the Canadas to feel as though they were a unified nation. The English-speaking Canadians could better understand the French-speaking Canadians and vice

The War of 1812 was started by America due to British encroachment on three fronts, trade restrictions imposed by the British, the increasing alliances of the British with Indian tribes blocking American expansion West, and due to British interference with merchant class ships in the Atlantic. The war was fought in the Great Lakes region between America and Canada, near New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Atlantic trade routes, and around Washington DC. The British had always considered the American insurrection in the 1770s to be a temporary event, their continued battles within the European continent as well as the rest of the British empire had proven to be too distracting to keep a solid check on North America. The British also had not anticipated a war in North America in the lead up to the war of 1812 due to the fragility of the American states, leading to the hubris Britain retained in its relations with the young United States of America.

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.

The War of 1812 was a war between Britain and the United States fought primarily in Upper Canada. It had many causes, few which involved British North America. The results of the war include the fact that there was no clear winner or loser among them. The only real losers in the situation were the Natives in the region. They were driven out of their lands and customs. None of the borders was changed by the war, though many attempts were made. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, did nothing to advance the state of the countries. It went so far as to end the war and put things back the way that they were, but the main causes of the conflict were not addressed or dealt with. In order to evaluate the significance of this war,

Graeme Garrad, author of the article and a senior lecturer in history at Cardiff University evokes the event of War of 1812. He writes a beautiful article entitled “The saviour of Canada” which was printed in the journal History today in October 2012. This article is about how Canada defended Britain from United States in the War of 1812. He tells about the consequences of the war and describes how Canada helped Britain. I am going to review his article on the basis of language, images, content, facts, His style of writing, how he concluded the argument, what title lead us to expect from the article, bias or not.