Outcomes of the War of 1812

"American Progress" by John Gast, 1872

"American Progress" by John Gast, 1872

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On the surface, it may seem that the War of 1812 was just pointless bloodshed spattered on the pages of human history. After all, according to the final Treaty of Ghent, all relations and borders were supposed to return to status quo ante bellum , or pre-war, status. Look beyond the legalism and into the practical effects of the war, however, and one will find significant attitudinal changes in the United States after the conflict, ushering in what most historians consider the “Era of Good Feelings” in the decade following the war.

The biggest American casualty of the war was the Federalist Party, the first political party that had arisen in the United States. A party of bankers and businessmen, the Federalists' steady opposition to the war doomed them in the eyes of the American public. Their vociferous opposition to the commencement of the war, and their subsequent contemplation of outright secession at the "Hartford Convention," angered many Americans, who viewed the Federalists as “un-patriotic.” The Federalists had principally represented men of means and wealth, with the bulk of their membership in the Northeast. With the end of the war the party all but ceased to exist, and many of its former members rallied to new party banners, namely Republican and Whig, where they formed the political base for centralization, protectionism, and, eventually, abolitionism, in the latter half of the 19th century. 

When the war ended, Americans seized on the various successes of the Army and Navy and celebrated the fact that the relatively young United States had gone toe to toe with the greatest military machine in the world, fighting them mostly to a draw. The huge victory scored by Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans , in addition to the multiple successes of America’s greatest frigate, the USS Constitution , proved to be reason enough to promote the American image at home and abroad.

Partisan rancor, which had reached a fever pitch during the immolation of the Federalists, waned considerably in the years following the war, prompting people to dub their times "the Era of Good Feelings." The party of Thomas Jefferson gained ascendancy, undoubtedly helped by the loss of the Federalists, and propounded a happy vision of a nation of free farmers. This peaceful domestic policy became married to an expansionist foreign policy.  The 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty led to the American purchase of Florida from Spain. In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine essentially told European powers that the Western Hemisphere was off limits to European expansion. It also helped put the United States on a course of internal expansion. By staying out of European affairs the United States expected, and demanded, the same treatment in kind. This could not have happened had the War of 1812 not ended the way it did.

The election of Andrew Jackson as the seventh President ushered in the age of the “common man.” Jackson was the de facto hero of the common man and his policies as president reflected that fact. The election of Jackson in 1828 is also notable because of the shift in American political demographics. Suffrage became more widespread, as property requirements to vote were dropped by the states, resulting in a huge surge in the number of eligible voters.

This shift was also perceptible in the arts and letters as American painters began to focus on American themes in their works. This is perhaps best represented by the work of Missouri painter George Caleb Bingham, who celebrated the common man on his canvas. Generals and politicians fell by the wayside as subject matter. Instead the new American was the fur trader, the horse trader, the “jolly” flat boatman who plied the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Bingham’s singular work, "The County Election" celebrates American democracy in a way never before celebrated. With bottles and ballots in their hands, Bingham’s heroes are the everyday white men who made the machine of American politics turn.

In 1837, Ralph Waldo Emerson delivered his speech, “The American Scholar,” which was later published as an essay. Oliver Wendell Holmes believed that “The American Scholar” was the United States' intellectual Declaration of Independence. In his speech, Emerson urged Americans to look not to Europe for their models but to themselves and to American landscapes for inspiration. In 1841, Emerson published the essay "On Self-Reliance," which echoed the themes of “The American Scholar,” but had a lasting impact on the American creed of the worth of hard work and one’s own labor. Emerson’s pen and thinking were built on the evidence of American significance provided by the War of 1812.

While the self-reliant common man rose to a zenith, the same could not be said for the American Indian tribes of the frontier. With the end of the War of 1812, the Native Americans could no longer count on Great Britain to shield them from the flood of white settlers headed west. Settlers came in droves by the Erie Canal or through the Cumberland Gap. The next seventy-five years saw a rapid decline in the Native Americans' way of life, even for those tribes like the Cherokee or Choctaw that tried to adapt white ways of living. Manifest Destiny ruled the day.

In the years after the War of 1812, new states north and south entered the Union. At the same time, America’s economic engine was fueled by King Cotton. Alas, King Cotton could not have become the behemoth it did without the institution of race-based slavery. While many Americans could boast of great progress in the years after the War of 1812, most notably in the shaping of American politics, art, and military tradition, the issue of slavery continued to divide the nation and the true meaning of the United States could not be borne out until after the great bloodletting of the Civil War.

Further Reading:

  • 1812: War with America : Jon Latimer
  • 1812: The War That Forged a Nation : Walter R. Borneman
  • The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies : Alan Taylor
  • The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict : Donald R. Hickey
  • Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence : A.J. Langguth

thesis statement for war of 1812

Federalists, War Hawks & The War of 1812

thesis statement for war of 1812

Embargos: Economic Warfare on the Eve of the War of 1812

Painting of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent: Ending the War of 1812

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“The War of 1812”

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Causes of The War of 1812

  • Course of the War

Effects of The War of 1812

War of 1812 conclusion.

United States and Great Britain engaged in war in 1812, hence named “The War of 1812”. This war lasted for three years, that is, from 1812 to 1815.

It resulted from the cropping anger of the Americans over trade issues, impressments of American sailors, and British aid of the Indian attacks on the front line against the Native Americans (Roosevelt, 113). Although some of the Americans thought of 1812 War as a second war of independence, during this war, neither the British nor the Americans gained any decisive advantage.

The 1812 War took place during the reign of President Madison; he had declared war against the British after collision of the Americans with the British. The conflict between the Americans and the British had resulted from the British support of the Indians, Americans’ enemies.

The Indians had inputted much effort in doing away with the American administration, for instance, they fought the American troops leading to the reduction of the Americans power. In addition, the Indians offered protection to the British that resided in North America, this close association between the British and the Indians catalyzed American anger hence the outbreak of 1812 War.

Course of War

1812 War had its spark from a group of young politicians in the House of Representatives in America known as war hawks led by Henry Clay and John Calhoun.

The war hawks had diverse reasons as to why they demanded for the declaration of war against the British, and some of the reasons included the British violation of international laws that opposed disruption of marketing practices, the disrespect showed by the British, and the kidnapping act of the British.

For instance, the British violated international laws opposing disruption of marketing places by seizing American ships that transported goods for trade. The Americans considered the act of seizing American ships at their territory by the British as a show of disrespect. They therefore considered war as a solution, hence the War of 1812.

The British act of kidnapping innocent American sailors was also one of the causes of the 1812 War, the British captured and enslaved American sailors hence contributing to the rise of war hawks’ anger. The Chesapeake Affair of 1807 was also a contributing factor to the war of 1812, in 1807; the British soldiers managed to get aboard of American ship and killed innocent Americans that they caught, an act that left Americans burning with anger.

The neutrality act of Americans also contributed to the outbreak of the 1812 war, the Americans had the habit of carrying out their trading activity without showing interest or concern of the war that was taking place between the French and the British. The neutrality act portrayed by the Americans made the British take advantage of them.

The Americans started mistreating them by seizing their ships and capturing innocent American sailors (Hannay, 107).The succession of the British in the 1805 war against the French worsened the relationship between the British and the Americans, it led to the declination of the American participation in the trading activities across the seas.

Although the treaty of Ghent signed in December 1814 did not touch on any issues concerning the causes of the 1812 War, it contributed immensely towards the end of the 1812 War. The American and the British representatives had met at Ghent in Belgium with the intention of signing a peaceful treaty. According to the signed treaty, all conquered states were to be returned.

The treaty also paved way for the planning of commissions that solved boundary issues that existed between America and Canada. Via the signed treaty, the Americans were also able to restore their war lands and ships that had been captured by the British (Cullum, 133). In addition, the treaty contributed to the British promising to return the slaves it had captured.

Success of 1812 is based on the efforts of Andrew Jackson, in 1815, Andrew Jackson together with his poorly trained troops managed to win the Battle of New Orleans. The war had taken place between British and the Americans who had not gotten the news of the signed treaty.

Andrew Jackson with his outnumbered American army had managed to defeat the well trained and equipped British soldiers in the war that lasted for three years (Auchinleck, 89). The Battle of New Orleans had depicted the nationalism of the American volunteers, hence signifying the importance of Andrew Jackson.

In conclusion, the 1812 War was as a result of conflicts between the British and the Americans, it had resulted from the British overlooking the American neutrality. The 1812 war lasted for three years. In addition to the war contributing the drop of the American trading activity, it also led to the loss of many lives.

The British together with the Indians fought the Americans leading to the reduction of American powers. However, the efforts of the war hawks together with Andrew Jackson’ effort contributed immensely to the success of the American troops against the British.

Works cited

Auchinleck, Gilbert. A History of the War Between Great Britain and the United States of America: During the Years 1812, 1813, and 1814 . New York: Maclear & Company, 1855. Print.

Cullum, George. Campaigns of the War of 1812-15, Against Great Britain – Sketched and Criticised – With Brief Biographies of the American Engineers. New York: Symonds Press, 2010. Print.

Hannay, James. History of the War of 1812 Between Great Britain and the United States of America. New York: HardPress, 2012. Print.

Roosevelt, Theodore. The Naval War of 1812 . New York: Echo Library, 2007. Print.

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thesis statement for war of 1812

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War of 1812

By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 24, 2023 | Original: October 27, 2009

USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812

In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country’s future. Causes of the war included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen and America’s desire to expand its territory. 

The United States suffered many costly defeats at the hands of British, Canadian and Native American troops over the course of the War of 1812, including the capture and burning of the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., in August 1814. Nonetheless, American troops were able to repulse British invasions in New York, Baltimore and New Orleans, boosting national confidence and fostering a new spirit of patriotism. The ratification of the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815, ended the war but left many of the most contentious questions unresolved. Nonetheless, many in the United States celebrated the War of 1812 as a “second war of independence,” beginning an era of partisan agreement and national pride.

Causes of the War of 1812

At the outset of the 19th century, Great Britain was locked in a long and bitter conflict with Napoleon Bonaparte’s France. In an attempt to cut off supplies from reaching the enemy, both sides attempted to block the United States from trading with the other. In 1807, Britain passed the Orders in Council, which required neutral countries to obtain a license from its authorities before trading with France or French colonies. The Royal Navy also outraged Americans by its practice of impressment, or removing seamen from U.S. merchant vessels and forcing them to serve on behalf of the British.

In 1809, the U.S. Congress repealed Thomas Jefferson ’s unpopular Embargo Act, which by restricting trade had hurt Americans more than either Britain or France. Its replacement, the Non-Intercourse Act, specifically prohibited trade with Britain and France. It also proved ineffective, and in turn was replaced with a May 1810 bill stating that if either power dropped trade restrictions against the United States, Congress would in turn resume non-intercourse with the opposing power.

After Napoleon hinted he would stop restrictions, President James Madison blocked all trade with Britain that November. Meanwhile, new members of Congress elected that year—led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun—had begun to agitate for war, based on their indignation over British violations of maritime rights as well as Britain’s encouragement of Native American hostility against American westward expansion .

Did you know? The War of 1812 produced a new generation of great American generals, including Andrew Jackson, Jacob Brown and Winfield Scott, and helped propel no fewer than four men to the presidency: Jackson, John Quincy Adams, James Monroe and William Henry Harrison.

The War of 1812 Breaks Out

In the fall of 1811, Indiana’s territorial governor William Henry Harrison led U.S. troops to victory in the Battle of Tippecanoe . The defeat convinced many Indians in the Northwest Territory (including the celebrated Shawnee chief Tecumseh ) that they needed British support to prevent American settlers from pushing them further out of their lands. 

Meanwhile, by late 1811 the so-called “War Hawks” in Congress were putting more and more pressure on Madison, and on June 18, 1812, the president signed a declaration of war against Britain. Though Congress ultimately voted for war, both House and Senate were bitterly divided on the issue. Most Western and Southern congressmen supported war, while Federalists (especially New Englanders who relied heavily on trade with Britain) accused war advocates of using the excuse of maritime rights to promote their expansionist agenda.

In order to strike at Great Britain, U.S. forces almost immediately attacked Canada, which was then a British colony. American officials were overly optimistic about the invasion’s success, especially given how underprepared U.S. troops were at the time. On the other side, they faced a well-managed defense coordinated by Sir Isaac Brock, the British soldier and administrator in charge in Upper Canada (modern Ontario). 

On August 16, 1812, the United States suffered a humiliating defeat after Brock and Tecumseh’s forces chased those led by Michigan William Hull across the Canadian border, scaring Hull into surrendering Detroit without any shots fired.

War of 1812: Mixed Results for American Forces

Things looked better for the United States in the West, as Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s brilliant success in the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813 placed the Northwest Territory firmly under American control. Harrison was subsequently able to retake Detroit with a victory in the Battle of Thames (in which Tecumseh was killed). Meanwhile, the U.S. navy had been able to score several victories over the Royal Navy in the early months of the war. With the defeat of Napoleon’s armies in April 1814, however, Britain was able to turn its full attention to the war effort in North America. 

As large numbers of troops arrived, British forces raided the Chesapeake Bay and moved in on the U.S. capital, capturing Washington, D.C ., on August 24, 1814, and burning government buildings including the Capitol and the White House .

Inspiration for 'The Star Spangled Banner'

On September 11, 1814, at the Battle of Plattsburgh on Lake Champlain in New York, the American navy soundly defeated the British fleet. And on September 13, 1814, Baltimore’s Fort McHenry withstood 25 hours of bombardment by the British Navy. 

The following morning, the fort’s soldiers hoisted an enormous American flag, a sight that inspired Francis Scott Key to write a poem that would later be set to music and become known as  “ The Star-Spangled Banner .” (Set to the tune of an old English drinking song, it would later be adopted as the U.S. national anthem.) British forces subsequently left the Chesapeake Bay and began gathering their efforts for a campaign against New Orleans .

End of the War of 1812 and Its Impact

By that time, peace talks had already begun at Ghent (modern Belgium), and Britain moved for an armistice after the failure of the assault on Baltimore. In the negotiations that followed, the United States gave up its demands to end impressment, while Britain promised to leave Canada’s borders unchanged and abandon efforts to create an Indian state in the Northwest. On December 24, 1814, commissioners signed the Treaty of Ghent , which would be ratified the following February. 

On January 8, 1815, unaware that peace had been concluded, British forces mounted a major attack in the Battle of New Orleans , only to meet with defeat at the hands of future U.S. president Andrew Jackson ’s army. News of the battle boosted sagging U.S. morale and left Americans with the taste of victory, despite the fact that the country had achieved none of its pre-war objectives.

Impact of the War of 1812

Though the War of 1812 is remembered as a relatively minor conflict in the United States and Britain, it looms large for Canadians and for Native Americans, who see it as a decisive turning point in their losing struggle to govern themselves. In fact, the war had a far-reaching impact in the United States, as the Treaty of Ghent ended decades of bitter partisan infighting in government and ushered in the so-called “Era of Good Feelings.” 

The war also marked the demise of the Federalist Party , which had been accused of being unpatriotic for its antiwar stance, and reinforced a tradition of Anglophobia that had begun during the Revolutionary War. Perhaps most importantly, the war’s outcome boosted national self-confidence and encouraged the growing spirit of American expansionism that would shape the better part of the 19th century.

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Course: US history   >   Unit 4

  • The election of 1800
  • Jefferson's presidency and the turn of the nineteenth century
  • The Louisiana Purchase and its exploration
  • Jefferson's election and presidency

The War of 1812

  • The Monroe Doctrine
  • The presidency of John Quincy Adams
  • Politics and regional interests
  • The Market Revolution - textile mills and the cotton gin
  • The Market Revolution - communication and transportation
  • The Market Revolution - impact and significance
  • Irish and German immigration
  • The 1820s and the Market Revolution

thesis statement for war of 1812

  • The War of 1812 , which lasted from June 18, 1812 to February 18, 1815, was fought over issues that continued to plague relations between the United States and Britain after the Revolutionary War, like impressment of American sailors and trade restrictions on American shipping.
  • Though many American grievances were resolved during the course of the war, the Treaty of Ghent , which formally ended the War of 1812, involved no significant change in pre-war borders or boundaries.
  • For Native Americans who had allied with the British, the outcome of the war was devastating to their land and political autonomy.

War in Europe and grievances in the United States

The hartford convention and the treaty of ghent, the end of the war of 1812, the war of 1812 and native americans, what do you think.

  • For more on the Napoleonic Wars, see Mike Rapport, The Napoleonic Wars: A Very Short Introduction (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013).
  • For more on the military history of the conflict, see Donald R. Hickey, The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2012).
  • For more, see Walter R. Borneman, 1812: The War that Forged a Nation (New York: HarperCollins, 2004).
  • For more on the American Indians and the War of 1812, see Alan Taylor, The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, and Indian Allies (New York: Random House, 2010).

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Incredible Answer

French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 Essay

Thesis Statement: The American history has been characterized by many years of war through military struggles, before and after its independence, which includes the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812.

The French Indian war was a struggle between the French and the Britons since 1754 to 1763. In the 1750s, the French and Britons rose against each other in Europe although the war extended to North America.

The British colonists were pursuing the French’s Northern American territory and conger fur trade in the region extending from Virginia up to Nova Scotia. In return, the French Governor-General, Roland-Michel Barrin de La Galissonière , commanded a military expedition in the region to mark their territory, evaluate the British powers and most importantly, astound the Indians through military show off (Cave, 2004).

The British military struggled against the French military as well as the Native Americans, who were afraid that they would lose their land to the Britons. The unrest concluded in 1759 after James Wolfe, British Major general seized Quebec. In the course of the war, a peace treaty was signed in 1763 where the Britons acquired most of the territory that belonged to the French.

Consequently, the Britons avenged against the French by colonists taxation. The war modified the social, political as well as economic interactions that existed among the European nations i.e. Spain, France and Great Britain, as well as the colonies and the Native Americans. Great Britain and France faced heavy financial costs which affected their economic growth (Cave, 2004).

On the other hand, the American Revolution was a political turmoil in the late eighteenth century where 13 North American colonies united to secede from British Empire to comprise the United States of America. It was as a result of social-political as well as intellectual changes better known as the American enlightenment.

Its importance in the American history cannot be underestimated since it led to the formation of the United States. Like the French and Indian War, it happened over a period of seven years, which was initiated by the thirteen colonies disregarding orders from Parliament of Great Britain to rule them from abroad with no representation in America. In 1774, the colonies had created provincial congress as autonomous states.

As a result, the British reacted by commanding their military to re-inflict direct rule (Wallenfeldt, 2009). The new states united to guard their self governance and control the British forces in 1775 and reject British monarchy or aristocracy. On October 1781, the Revolutionary War came to an end as Americans won and became a sovereign nation while the British surrendered under the Treaty of Paris signed in 1783.

Therefore, the result of the struggle was formation of democratically voted delegate administration to serve the interests of the majority population. Issues of national governance were handled to create a federal government through U.S constitution ratification in seventeen eighty eight and United States Bill of Rights in 1791, which offered natural rights and personal liberties to the citizens (Wallenfeldt, 2009).

The War of 1812- 1815 was the initial military struggle between the USA and Great British forces after the U.S its gained independence. It was announced by America in June 1812 since they wanted to expand northwest, trade barriers as a result of France unrest with Britain, British aid to American- Indian tribes to oppose American expansion among other reasons.

Until 1814, British forces were only defending their interests and repelled various invasions from American military in the Canadian border. Following the American revolutionary war, the British did not leave the American land surrounding great lakes, while imposing trade barrier and supporting Indians to resist expansion.

Therefore like the previous wars, the War of 1812 was due to socio-economic and political reasons. The American victory in 1814 led to the amendment of the American foreign policy, its recognition as a world power and its confirmation of independence through signing the Treaty of Ghent (Wallenfeldt, 2009).

In conclusion, French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812 were due to socio-economic and political reasons particularly the issue of land. All the three wars were fought within the American boundaries and notably, the Great Britain was involved in all the three wars. The wars are significant in establishment of a liberal republicanism in the U.S characterized by democracy, which formed the basis of a political tradition apparent today.

Cave, A. A. (2004). The French and Indian War . Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing Group.

Wallenfeldt , J. (2009). The American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812: People, Politics, and Power . New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

  • Militia Casualties of the War of 1812
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IvyPanda. (2018, September 11). French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812. https://ivypanda.com/essays/french-and-indian-war-the-american-revolution-and-the-war-of-1812/

"French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812." IvyPanda , 11 Sept. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/french-and-indian-war-the-american-revolution-and-the-war-of-1812/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812'. 11 September.

IvyPanda . 2018. "French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812." September 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/french-and-indian-war-the-american-revolution-and-the-war-of-1812/.

1. IvyPanda . "French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812." September 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/french-and-indian-war-the-american-revolution-and-the-war-of-1812/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812." September 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/french-and-indian-war-the-american-revolution-and-the-war-of-1812/.

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Five Reasons the War of 1812 was Important

Published: Nov 26, 2019 · Modified: Nov 6, 2023 by Russell Yost · This post may contain affiliate links ·

The War of 1812 is one of the forgotten wars in American History and is often discarded as a worthless war.

War of 1812

Many folks point to the fact that America did not gain any new territory and that it was nothing more than young Americans trying to take advantage of the British absorbed in the Napoleonic Wars .

However, the War of 1812 was not fought in vain, and veterans of the war played a significant role in the development of the American military and navy moving forward.

These are the Five reasons the War of 1812 was important:

  • 1. It Changed America's Foreign Policy

2. Reorganized American Military

3. destroyed native alliances, 4. gave birth to new heroes, 5. set the stage for westward expansion, 1. it changed america's foreign policy.

During the first 12 years of America's existence, Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party influenced foreign policy.

The Federalists favored a strong standing army and navy, and during President George Washington's two terms and John Adams the only term, they began to build a stronger military.

The Federalists believed that a strong military would keep the young nation out of the entangling alliances in Europe and could protect them from English and French Impressment.

Thomas Jefferson opposed these policies and believed in a more idealistic view that would be adopted. He began dismantling the military, especially the Navy.

Thomas Jefferson's protege, James Madison , took office after him and followed in the same footsteps as Jefferson.

That is until the War of 1812 occurred, the British returned to American soil, and their Navy threatened the United States. Jefferson's gunboats were useless against these powerful frigates, and it became clear that America would need to improve its naval prowess.

After the United States escaped the war, it began to improve its navy. Their Navy would become one of the most powerful navies in the world by the time of the Civil War .

The American Military had not seen a significant engagement since the American Revolution .

There had been various Indian wars on the frontier, but nothing that challenged their homeland.

America's failure to defeat the British in Canada, despite Britain's lack of defense, showed poor leadership and terrible infrastructure.

By the end of the War of 1812, America's leadership was elite, and their military was well-disciplined. It showed at the Battle of New Orleans .

Throughout the colonial period , the French and Indian War , the American Revolution, and up to the War of 1812, there was only one nation that harassed American advancement, and it was the Native Americans .

The Native American population significantly outnumbered the American population by a large number. However, they were tribal and not united against a common enemy. They spoke different languages and could not end wars with generational enemies.

Tecumseh tried to unite the tribes and create an Indian Nation that would serve as a buffer. He had British support, but that support ended after his death at the Battle of the Thames .

After he died, so did his influence, and Indian tribes would be picked off one by one as America continued its expansion. Their participation in the wars against the Americans was not forgotten.

They would struggle for existence throughout the rest of American Expansion, and while they were brave in the face of annihilation, in the end, American technology and unity were too much for them to overcome.

The American Revolution gave a generation of heroes that boys grew up hearing about. Men like George Washington , Francis Marion , Daniel Boone , Daniel Morgan , Nathanael Greene , and Benjamin Franklin dominated the narrative.

Each president elected up to the War of 1812 had served in or had a significant connection to the founding of the United States.

The War of 1812 brought new military heroes that would influence a new generation. The most significant were Andrew Jackson , William Henry Harrison , Davey Crockett, and Winfield Scott .

The most notable of these men was Andrew Jackson, who would be elected the 7th President and change the course of American policy until the Civil War .

William Henry Harrison would be elected the 9th President and die a month later.

The losers of the War of 1812 were not the British nor Americans, but the Native Americans.

They were fragmented, and America was hungry to expand. Soon, the West began to be settled, and new states began to be admitted into the Union. This would eventually put them at odds with Mexico, which would lead to the Mexican War .

The United States upgraded its military and, by the time of the Mexican War, had become a superior military force able to execute complicated campaigns against the Mexicans.

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Home > ETD > Masters > 1162

Masters Theses

Si vis pacem, para bellum, if you want peace prepare for war: the u.s. army and the war of 1812.

Schuyler C. Ogden , Liberty University Follow

College of Arts and Sciences

Master of Arts in History - Thesis (MA)

Christopher Smith

American History, U.S. Army, War of 1812

Disciplines

Recommended citation.

Ogden, Schuyler C., "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, If You Want Peace Prepare for War: The U.S. Army and the War of 1812" (2024). Masters Theses . 1162. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1162

When thinking of the War of 1812, many people may think about Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner. They may also think about the only time when the American capitol was burned. Or they think about Andrew Jackson and his triumphant victory at New Orleans. Other than these, most Americans do not think about the War of 1812. In fact, the war is all but forgotten in most American minds. Despite this, this early American conflict is still worth looking at. Not because it was a success, but because it brought up much needed changes to American policies. Some of these needed changes were concentrated on reforming the military, particularly the army. What started out as a group of “amateurs at arms” was eventually molded into a more professional fighting force. The War of 1812 was the period where the United States Army began a change in policies that guided it towards standing professionalization.

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War Of 1812

&#65279; WAR OF 1812 In this essay I will be discussing the major events and battles that took place during the War of 1812. The war was a conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain. It started in 1812 and lasted until the spring of 1815. My thesis statement is: The War of 1812 was a war that neither side won. There were four main causes for the war taking place. These were impressment, boundary problems, the Warhawks, and …

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    When thinking of the War of 1812, many people may think about Fort McHenry and the Star-Spangled Banner. They may also think about the only time when the American capitol was burned. Or they think about Andrew Jackson and his triumphant victory at New Orleans. Other than these, most Americans do not think about the War of 1812. In fact, the war is all but forgotten in most American minds.

  18. Thesis Example on War Of 1812

    The war was a conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain. It started in 1812 and lasted until the spring of 1815. My thesis statement is: The War of 1812 was a war that neither side won. There were four main causes for the war taking place. These were impressment, boundary problems, the Warhawks, and ….

  19. PDF The War of 1812

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