The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the United Kingdom, including some of its colonies. Causes included trade restrictions, forced conscription, and American desire for expansion. The British initially had the upper hand, but the Americans adapted and achieved some success. The war ended in 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent, restoring national borders.
The War of 1812 was a war between the United States and the United Kingdom. Countries at war included the United States, the United Kingdom and some of the United Kingdom’s colonies: Upper and Lower Canada (now Ontario and Quebec respectively), Nova Scotia and Bermuda. During this war, 2,260 American and 1,600 British soldiers died.
This war had several causes: the United Kingdom was at war with France and wanted to prevent the United States from trading hemp with France; the forced conscription of Americans into the British navy; overall British control of American trade; alleged British military aid for American Indians defending themselves against American settlers; and the American desire to expand territory.
The Americans were unsuccessful at the start of the War of 1812 because their repeated attempts to cross into Canada were blocked by General Issac Brock. The bulk of General Brock’s army consisted of local militia and American Indian allies of the British. The US military also consisted of local militias, but militia members often refused to serve or had incompetent leaders, and the Americans also suffered from a lack of financial resources and many logistical problems. Additionally, New England refused to provide troops or money for the war effort.
The British had plenty of money and superior logistical dispositions, but their simultaneous war with France was seen as more important. For this reason, for the first two years of the War of 1812, the British took a defensive approach. In 1814, the war with France ended and the British sent armies to invade the United States, but the Americans had finally adapted to fighting the British and figured out better ways to solve the logistical problems.
Although much of the east coast was blockaded by the Royal Navy during the war, trade remained open through New England due to trade relations with Great Britain and Canada. This blockade has been extremely damaging to agricultural exports from the United States, but it has been good for manufacturing, as Americans have had to rely on themselves to produce goods.
Although the Americans attempted to defend its ports with small gunboats, this strategy was a failure due to British naval superiority. One of the most famous battles of the War of 1812 was a series of attacks on Chesapeake Bay, which ended in the fire of Washington, during which the White House and the Capitol were burned. The Americans managed to achieve some success by using hired mercenaries, or privateers, to attack British merchant ships. They also gained control of Lake Erie, which served to keep Western Ontario in check. American control of Lake Champlain enabled them to repel a British invasion force in 1814.
In 1814, the British and Americans made peace, restoring national borders to their pre-war places. In January of 1815, they signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. In retrospect, this war united both Canadians and Americans much more strongly than they had before the war.
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