Who were you taught won the War of 1812?

Question

By the way, the answer is the British.

Answer 1

In Canada we note that war was in one sense a draw for the declared belligerents, as the USA and UK agreed to return to the way things were before the fighting broke out. The biggest losers were of course Native Americans ("the Indians"). However we stress the importance of the war to the development of a Canadian identity in particular in Upper Canada (the modern Ontario). There was both a tremendous sense of pride in having resisted an American takeover and a reaffirmation of loyalism towards Britain.

Answer 2

The War of 1812 is one of the most skipped over wars in the history of this nation. In grade school and high school children are taught that the U.S. won the War of 1812. I majored in History while in college and had numerous American history classes and did some extensive research. The U.S. didn't really win and they didn't really lose either. I say this because the Treaty of Ghent established the status quo ante bellum; there were no territorial concessions made by either side. The U.S. also failed in its initial objective of removing all British presence from North America, it did however, achieve its other main goals--the end of the Indian menace on the frontiers and the end of the British practice of impressment. The young nation did gain some international respect for managing to battle the British Empire to a draw.

Answer 3

The relationship between Britain and the United States had been frigid since the latter gained their independence from the former. Trade had been substantial but diplomatic relations consisted of each party ignoring the other’s existence.

In 1793, Britain went to war against France in what became known as the Napoleonic Wars. The United States was neutral during this conflict but hostilities between the two belligerents interfered with its trade. The Royal Navy blockaded French ports and obliged all neutral shipping, especially American vessels, bound for France, to call first at a British port and pay duties on its cargo before being allowed to proceed. Furthermore the Royal Navy frequently stopped United States ships and pressed into service those seamen who had either deserted from the Royal Navy or were vaguely suspected of having deserted. This policy so incensed United States officials, that on 18th June 1812, President James Maddison declared war on Great Britain.

The Americans were ill prepared for war. An initial incursion into Canada was easily rebuffed. There were some minor naval skirmishes particularly involving the USS Constitution, which sank several Royal Navy vessels. The British army was too involved in Europe to send troops to fight, but British interests were preserved by supplying the Shawnee tribe with armaments to attack wagon trains, heading for Oregon. The Americans sent an expeditionary force into Canada, which burnt the city of York, now Toronto, and hurriedly retreated.

By 1814, after a series of victories in Europe, Britain had available resources to mount an offensive. An amphibious British force landed at Chesapeake Bay and after defeating the American army at the battle of Blandensberg, captured the city of Washington, destroyed the Capitol building and burnt down the president’s house. This residence was rebuilt soon after but had to be painted white in order to hide the burn marks, hence the name of the White House.

After such a disturbing and humiliating defeat, the Americans called a truce and signed a peace treaty, the Treaty of Ghent, which restored matters to the state they were in before the war.

Answer 4

it actual relies upon on the way you check out it. Technically, it replaced right into a draw. For the U. S., they claimed victory because of fact they have been given maximum of what they needed interior the treaty that ended the war. For the Brits and Canadians they felt the won because of fact they succesfully repelled the U. S. invasion and secured non violent family with the U. S. to concentration on the war raging in Europe on the time. One interesting quote replaced into Teddy Roosevelt some years later. It replaced into something to the result that the war of 1812 replaced into the optimum high quality defeat in US historical past. certainly it replaced right into a draw, with the two section getting what they needed or necessary from it. Even militarily it replaced right into a blended bag. the U. S. did ok interior the naval conflict on the super lakes, yet faired poorly over all interior the floor campaign. And if we will commerce barbs approximately cities getting burned, i might think of having your national capital (Philadelphia) burned to the floor could be a somewhat heavy blow. that's why the U. S. capital replaced into moved to DC, it replaced into seen extra secure.

Answer 5

I was taught that it was basically a "draw", since at least offiicially (that is, by the terms of the treaty) everything was returned to its status before the war. In that case I find it very difficult to say the Britian "won" it anymore than that the U.S. did.

In fact, if you take a close look at the whole American situation in the decades leading up to the war, and how the war was a key piece in CHANGING that situation (esp vis a vis the ability to sail and trade freely), you have to conclude that America ultimately gained a great deal of its main objective in the war. So even if I wouldn't necessarily say the U.S. "won" the war, the endeavor was in key respects a "success" (even when the successes were not always directly tied to victories in battle).

I suspect the reason you think as you do is from the mistaken notion that the war objective of the U.S. was to conquer the Canadian territories. Though this certainly played an important role, it was, in fact, NOT among the war's central causes, nor was it EVER among the official reasons given for going to war. So yes, they did fail to take Canada -- but is that "losing the war" if that's not what the WAR's purpose was??

To get the right answer it's necessary to be clear about why the war was started/what the goals were.

As I hinted, much of the misunderstanding has to do with the notion that war must be about "taking territory" (or at least that this particular war was). By that measure NO ONE won the war, since at the war's end all territories were returned to whoever controlled them before the war.

But, in fact, gaining territory was NOT the objective of EITHER side!

More specifically, two major mistakes are often made here:

a) "the British were trying to retake their former American colonies (and failed)" No, that was NOT the British objective!

b) "a key American war-aim was to take Canada (perhaps annex it), and they were repelled" No. While there were those who desired this, this was NOT the reason for attacking the British in Canada and the government never stated any such thing

In other words, our Canadian friends are operating under the misapprehension that we declared war on THEM and/or on the British in order to annex Canada. But that simply is not the case.

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The main (and stated) objectives of the U.S. are listed below. Note that each of them was, in fact, accomplished, though not necessarily all because of the war itself!

1) impressment of U.S. sailors. This was actually settled before war, with Britain largely acquiescing (though with slow communication the Americans did not yet know this)

2) interference in American TRADE, and hence with American sovereignty/independence.

This was mainly the result of the wars between Britain and France (and Americans suffered at the hands of BOTH powers). Once that war ended, the British no longer interfered in the same way. Thus the American objective was achieved, though not necessarily by the war!!

3) "Indian question" -- in the Northwest frontier wars. the British supported the Indians
this was THE reason for invading the Canadian territories. (Though some in the Western states wanted to annex the Canadian colonies, this was NOT the reason for the invasion, and the U.S. government never pushed for it.) Note, that the U.S. was indeed successful in reaching this objective. After the war the British were never again involved in assisting Indians vs. the U.S.


Although Britain was NOT attempting to retake its former colonies, all three of these issues DO have to do with the exercise of American independence/sovereignty, which was being treated rather lightly by the European powers.

Thus it is understandable that Americans regarded this as a "second war of Independence" even if it was not that in the STRICT sense. And this overarching objective -- of asserting its own sovereignty in issus of territory ("Indian question") and trade, America WAS successful.

SOME of the American success was an INDIRECT result of the war. In particular, the cutting off of trade with England ended up strengthening U.S. independent manufacture...leading to greater ECONOMIC independence.

Another indirect result -- the expansion of the American navy in order to conduct the war contributed in other ways to America's ability to assert its sovereignty. One prime example -- immediately after the War the U.S. Navy was able to fully and finally address the problem of the Barbary Pirates in the quick and very successful SECOND Barbary War (1815) . In short, by the end of 1815, and in part THROUGH the War of 1812, the U.S. finally DID accomplish the sort of freedom to sail the seas and trade as it wished -- something it had hoped to gain through the American Revolution but never quite achieved.

Further, after the War of 1812 the U.S. was bolder to proclaim (and act on) its refusal to allow ANY European interference in the Western Hemisphere (note esp. the Monroe Doctrine).

Answer 6

LOL this is fun.

Russia won the war with France in 1812. Or so I was taught :-)

Answer 7

Taught... >.> I was taught SQUAT in school.

I had teachers that told me France or Spain was England.

I know nothing about the War of 1812.

Answer 8

I agree with many of this and say this was a draw. Neither side came out on top. In 1814 Jackson killed a lot of professional soldiers in new orleans with a bunch of militia, pirates etc. Washington got burned down but so did the canadian capitol building. Our national anthem came from a bombardment of one of our forts. The British did not win in my books because of piracy which caused insurance premiums for merchants to sky rocket, and it was forced to commit resources to America while having to fight against Napoleon.

Answer 9

US lost most battles on land, including the burning of Washington; US won most battles at sea but ended up with the coast blockaded; British didnt try to re-invade and recapture their lost colonies, so I was taught it was a draw.

Answer 10

Wasn't much of a war, considering the largest battle only involved 500 soldiers. It was more like a series of small battles. I think the British had some alterior motive. Because the entire campaign just doesn't make sense from a social, economic, political, and strategic standpoint.