how was the war of 1812 started? read details?

Question

how was teh war of 1812 started?
what was it?
why was it important?
what did American benefit from it?

Answer 1

First of all, "Canada" did not WIN the war, since it did not yet exist as an entity. Perhaps you are simply saying that U.S. attempts to invade and annex Canada failed -- true, but as you'll see below that was NOT the reason nor main purpose of the war.

I was taught that the war was basically a "draw", since at least officially (that is, by the terms of the treaty) everything was returned to its status before the war.

But 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).

As I suggested at the top, some even think the U.S. lost because they believe that a central objective 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 issues 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 2

The war of 1812 is refered to as the Second War of independence by the British. After the Revolution, America was still heavily reliant on the British for the economy. Britian, realizing this, taxed American merchants for trading with them. They remained in their forts in the West, and kept many troops in those territories.
After a while, the American government had enough and started the War of 1812 after much persuasion from a political group called the War Hawks.
The War of 1812 gave America a chance at the world. Before the U.S. was not really considered a country. After the war Americans knew that they could stand up and defend their country.
After the War, there were fewer problems with Britain. Mainly the United States got the boost in morale.

Answer 3

Most people will say that the United States just started the war over martime issues. But I think thats a LIE.

If it was over martime rights, they would have attacked martime trading ports, such as Halifax, places in New Brunswick etc. etc. But no, they attack Ontario...

They also would have stopped the war much earlier; Britain had repealed the Hate Orders (impressment of American sailors), and Madison recieved the information a few weeks after the war had begun.

Its pretty obvious that the United States wanted more land... With the British fighting Napoleon in France, 1812 was the perfect time to strike.

When Napolean was defeated in Russia and at Leipzieg in 1813, America realized that they simply couldn't win against the British, and so they started angling towards peace.

Now, even more people will say "we won because WE beat you in the last battle, New Orleans!"; this however, is a common American lie. The last battle was fought at Fort Boyer, where the yankees promptly surrendered to the British.

Answer 4

There were a lot of reasons that the War 0f 1812 was fought. The leading reason was the "port" issue. Napolean closed all European ports to the British, extending this ordedr to cover any vessel that landed at a British port before coming to the continent. Britains response was to order anyone wishing to use their ports to acquire a license in a British port before they could sail to Europe. This meant that any neutral country had to choose sides. Whose orders to follow. American economy depended on trade with Europe, and there had been instances of high-level government contact between France and the United States. By 1812 British ships had captured almost four hundred American vessels, some within sight of the U.S. coast, severely disrupting American export trade. Often, Americans were conscripted to serve on British ships. As a result, many Americans called the War of 1812, the "second war for independence".
There was also the "frontier" issue. Gaining the Ohio Valley after the revolution, home to a large American Indian population, made fur trade through that area under American control. The Indians wanted a "homeland" declared for them west of the Ohio River, and were backed by Britain in this interest. There were quite a few instances of settlements being attacked, massacres happening, and this was thought to stem from the British, since the Indians had been allies of Britain during the Revolutionary War. Many felt that this was reason enough to once again fight the British.
On June 18, 1812, Congress passed a bill, seventy-nine to forty-nine in House of Representatives, nineteen to thirteen in Senate, approving President Madison's declaration of war.

Answer 5

The Americans declared war on Britain on June 18, 1812, for a combination of reasons— outrage at the impressment (seizure) of thousands of American sailors into the British navy, frustration at British restraints on neutral trade, and anger at British military support for Native Americans defending their tribal lands from encroaching American settlers.
The US ended the Indian threat on its western and southern borders. The nation also gained a psychological sense of complete independence as people celebrated their "second war of independence."[4], though in fact US independence as such was never actually under threat. Nationalism soared after the victory at the Battle of New Orleans. The opposition Federalist Party collapsed and an Era of Good Feelings ensued.

Answer 6

The war stared because UK was at war with France and they tried to stop the U.S.A from neutral trade, the Uk seized American sailors into the british navy and supported the native Americans in thier effort to take back land. In Americas eyes it was the second war for independance. It was important to secure independance, neutral trade, keep the natives under control and not allow canada who had sided with the losers to invade. The benefit was kicking the UK's azzz for the second time and stopping the seizure of American sailors, keeping neutral trade alive, and allowing USA to keep the existing borders intact.

Answer 7

HI Canada won that war and we burnt down the White House to boot. Americans never invaded Canada again. So in reality the USA have lost 2 wars 1812 and Vietnam.


I am afraid there was a Canada. It was called Upper Canada and Lower Canada at that time.

Answer 8

I don't think it was one single event in particular but rather a series of maritime events in the Atlantic in which the British continued to harass and commandeer our ships and sailors at sea.

Answer 9

the british attacked. They burned White house. We were at war again but it wasnt the president fault because it wasnt the Revolution. We got a lot of nice monuments out of it.

Answer 10

No one gets through war and peace.