War of 1812 by Lan Hương https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88 en-us 2016-10-03 17:23:01 UTC 2026-01-18 15:06:35 UTC hello@padlet.com Causes, Events, and Aftermath of the War of 1812 lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/139253014
         The War of 1812 might be the greatest one that America conducted after its revolution that took place between 1776 and 1783. In this war, the Americans declared war against British for the first time in their nation’s history. However, according to Hickey, it is not only the second war with British but also considered one of the “most obscure major war” because there is “no great president is associated with the conflict” and the causes of war are “complex and little understood today” (1). The war ended neither side won, but both of them had lost the great of soldiers. The war of 1812 happened without expectation or demand by Great Britain. It occurred because the American “believed the only war would put an end to the practice of impressment and stop British-inspired Indian attacks along the western frontier” (Shi and Tindall 325). This essay is going to focus on main causes, events, and the aftermath of the war of 1812.
          The causes of war have still debated among historians. In fact, Hickey states that “[t]he average American is only vaguely aware of who our enemy was in the War of 1812 or why we fought. Even those who know something about the conflict are likely to remember only a few of the most dramatic highlights” (1). However, we could consider there might be three main drifts toward war which are free seas and trade issues, frontier pressures and War Hawks establishment. 
          Since the British made a war with France, they restricted trade that threatened American shipping rights. Besides that, the British practice of “impressing” in order to force American sailors to serve Royal Navy. Many American felt the British had not respected the United States as a legitimate country although the U.S had declared independence in 1776. In addition, the British supported many Indian attacks that preyed on American settlers along the frontier, in the Ohio Valley. For decades, settlers had been little by little pushing the natives farther westward; therefore, in order to protect their lands, they would happy to be an alliance with Great British. Based on this connection, “Americans on the frontier blamed the British for instigating the rebellions” (Newman and Schmalbach 129). Moreover, congressmen led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun who were anti-British representatives and also known as “War Hawks” argued the war would be “the only way to defend American honor, gain Canada, and destroy Native American resistance on the frontier” (Newman and Schmalbach 129). 
           Nevertheless, New England and New York were little enthusiasm for war. Both Connecticut and Massachusetts denied sending their soldiers. In addition, the U.S was sadly unprepared for fighting. In fact, the lack of leadership ability led to financially and militarily unresolved. Besides that, the national economy was also weak which “the number of unregulated states banks mushroomed, all with their own form of currency and creating commercial chaos” (Shi and Tindall 328). In those problems, the American went to the war did not well. 
        The war of 1812 occurred on three separate fronts. One of them was in the Chesapeake Bay, which along with the coast of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The next one was in South-Alabama, Mississippi, and West and East Florida, and the final was called Canadian-American war. In fact, in February 1813 at Chesapeake, the British captured and burned American vessels. They also kept their promise of freedom to slaves who would fight for Royal Navy. They organized about 400 former slaves into a military unit called the Colonial Marines who were provided meals, clothes, and wages. The British understood that focusing to Washington D.C would cause a great political effectiveness, that was the reason, their troops landed to burn D.C including the White House and the capitol building. After that, their soldiers routed the American militia at Bladensburg and headed for the nation’s capital. As a result, the American militia was failed. According to Shi and Tindall, “the destruction of Washington, D.C., shocked, embarrassed, and infuriated American. Even worse, people had lost confidence in the government and the military" (337).
 Besides that, at the South fronts, the Creek Indians had divided into two sides including one called Red Stick was British side during the war while another was remaining on good terms with the Americans. The American troops were commanded by General Andrew Jackson fought back Red Sticks’ rebellion. Jackson’s soldiers surrounded and set fire to Red Stick fort at Horseshoe Bend. This battle was a great victory for American and led to end the Creek’s ability to wage war. 
          At the Canada front, President James Madison’s troops tried to invade a three-part of Canada including Detroit, Niagara, and Lake Champlain. However, facing Britain’s overwhelming naval power, American had just a poorly equipped American army. At the result, a painful defeat was for American, and a big victory was for Naval.
           By 1814, the weary British decided to end the war because of military setbacks. In addition, at that time, London merchants desired to reconnect trade with America which the British government acknowledged that would bring them a greater value than the meaningless war. Moreover, American also admitted that they would not win a crucial victory. They had met together in Ghent to discuss ending the war. On Christmas Eve, 1814, the diplomats reached an agreement. The Treaty of Ghent were to stop the fighting and restore the status quo, return territory captured to the original owner, and accept of the prewar boundary between Canada and the U.S. The American had to consider Canada as a neighbor and a part of the British Empire. Moreover, before the war ended, a meeting was held by Federalists in Hartford Connecticut called The Hartford Convention, which suggested amendments to prevent Southern and Republican growing power. Nevertheless, Jackson’s victory at New Orleans, which occurred after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, and Treaty of Ghent made events of convention ended criticism of the war. Eventually, these Federalists were views as unpatriotic.
            The War of 1812 considered as American’s second war for independence, and it was crucial for the U.S. According to McNeil and  Mintz in their article “The War’s Significance” in Digital History, the war “destroyed the Indian’s ability resist American expansion east of the Mississippi River”. Besides that,  due to the British naval blockade, more and more American factories were built, and they took a big step toward industrial self-sufficiency. Finally, after the war, there was a strong feeling of American nationalism and a belief in the U.S future away from Europe.

                                                                                      Works Cited

Hickey, Donald R. The War Of 1812, A Short History. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012. eBook Collection 
          (EBSCOhost). Accessed 27 November 2016.
McNeil, Sara, and Steven Mintz. “The War’s Significance.” Digital History,                                       
            www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=2989. Accessed 27 November 2016. Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement
            Examination. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y: Amsco School Publications, 2016. Print.
Shi, David E., and George Brown. Tindall. America: A Narrative History. 10th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2016.  
Print. 




]]> 2016-11-22 03:34:59 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/139253014 The Origins of the War of 1812: Causes, Reinterpretations, and Rumination lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140712479 By Harold W. Youmans
From Journal of the War of 1812, Volume 15, No. 1, 2012—Bicentennial Issue

This article belongs in Journal of the War of 1812, which is an International Journal Dedicated to the Last Anglo-American War, 1812-1815. Youmans argues in his work about causes, reinterpretation, and rumination. However, considering in a situation that relates to my essay "Causes, Events, and Aftermath of the War of 1812" I'm going to focus on the explanation and analysis about causes of the war. He indicates that the war occurred between nations could not have a single cause.  Every single issue was not only a matchstick by itself to burn a war, but also could combine to make a great confliction. He points out some possible and logical causes, that lead to American had to declare the war including "the challenges to American sovereignty, national interests at the beginning of the 19th century, diplomatic postures and policies, President Madison’s war message, the maritime, land hunger, and economic Causes, and national honors"]]> 2016-11-30 04:52:02 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140712479 An Act Declaring War Between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Dependencies Thereof and the United States of America and Their Territories. lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140714904 From The United States Statutes at Large

This is a letter regarding declaration of the war of 1812 which was approved on June 18, 1812, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. The letter states that the relationship between them and  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland turned into a war. President Madison authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States in order to "against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government" of the Great Britain. 

]]> 2016-11-30 05:43:14 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140714904 The White House was burned by the British on 08/24/1814 lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140988668 (Tom Freeman's painting)
Burning of the White House was considered revenger because the American set fire Canadian Government building at York (Toronto) on April 1813.]]> 2016-11-30 23:25:24 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140988668 Battle of New Orleans in the war of 1812 lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140991280 Andrew Jackson fought against parts of Florida that Spanish occupied. In   battle, he also held off British Troops from an invasion of New Orleans. ]]> 2016-11-30 23:58:53 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140991280 Treaty of Ghent lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140993421 24, December 1814. This Treaty ended the war of 1812 and restored the status quo.

]]> 2016-12-01 00:30:05 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140993421 lanhuong262 https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140994420 Haley (Huong Nguyen)
HIST 1301 - 0321 ]]> 2016-12-01 00:44:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lanhuong262/ncqk2seqvq88/wish/140994420