The War Of 1812 Essay Research Paper

The War Of 1812 Essay, Research Paper

To many, the War of 1812 is considered

the 2nd war for independency. To me, it is the 1 of the most

unusual wars of all clip.

During a clip period between 1803-1812

British crewmans had been torturing American ships on the high seas.

British captains would finally take over and gaining control over 10,000 American

citizens to adult male British ships. In June of 1807, three stat mis off the

seashore of Virginia, an American ship named the Chesapeake was commanded

by a British ship named the Leopard to be boarded. When the Chesapeake

refused to collaborate, the Leopard fired, killing three and injuring 18.

This humiliated the United States and its people. The anti-British

frame of head was in full swing on the Eve of the approaching election.

In 1812, James Madison was elected President

of the United States. Aggressive southern frontiersman known as the

Warhawks dominated Congress. The group included Kentuckian Henry

Clay as Speaker of the house and South Carolinian John C. Calhoun.

These work forces and others rejected Thomas Jefferson? s scheme of peaceable coercion.

These talkers could light a crowd and stir up aggressiveness towards

the British. They would speak of the humiliation and how America shouldn? T

have to set up with it. They were coercing Madison to make something.

Congress wanted Madison to occupy Canada and assail the Indians who had

been torturing places on the frontier. Madison eventually succumbed

to their wants and declared war on the British June 1, 1812. The

timing of his actions seemed uneven as over the last few months actions against

each state seemed to hold been at easiness. There had been no new onslaughts

on the high seas and at the clip Madison called for war, British Government

was suspending the Orders in Council. This was an placating gesture

that in all likeliness would hold preserved the peace.

Madison ne’er truly wanted the appropriation

of Canada ; he was simply pushed into the determination. There were three

efforts to occupy Canada and they all failed. Toronto, the capital of

Canada was assaulted and burned to the land in the Battle of York April

27, 1813. Two more efforts were made and the fighting United States

Army was pushed back. British naval ships blockaded all major ports

and no ships were allowed to go forth or enter.

Equally successful as the British military personnels were

on land, the high seas belonged to the Americans. Captain Isaac Hull? s

ship, the Constitution won a major conflict against the HMS Guerriere and

American privateers crushed or captured a figure of British merchandiser ships.

On September 13,1813, Oliver Hazard Perry commanded a decisive American

naval triumph at the Battle of Lake Erie. In October of that same

twelvemonth, Indian Chief Tecumseh was killed at the Battle of Thames, a United

States triumph. In March of 1814, Andrew Jackson scored a triumph

at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend over the Creek Indians. By this clip

the British were already tired of the war and it was bing them excessively much

money.

As the menace of Napoleon decreased in

Europe, the British naval forcess increased in size and power in North America.

The naval encirclements in American ports became much stronger than they were

of all time earlier. Sir George Prevost, commanding officer of the British forces

hurriedly entered upper New York State ; an American fleet headed by Captain

Thomas Macdonough was waiting to turn him back. The Battle of Plattsburgh

was an American triumph and it secured a northern boundary line between the two

states.

Before the Battle of Plattsburgh, British

forces had already planned a three-part invasion into the United States.

They were amazed to see that the Chesapeake part, which they had tormented

throughout the war, was wholly defenceless. The British invaded

and burned down the Capital and other Government edifices. In no

manner were these actions essential to a British triumph. They were

merely revenge for Americans firing down the Canadian capital of Ontario.

The British were non impressed with the defenceless capital and wanted

more. On September 13,1814, British Naval ships began pelting

Baltimore and Fort McHenry. For 24 hours Fort McHenry became

a theatre of war. When the British eventually gave up the manoeuvre,

Francis Scott Key wrote a vocal devoted to the doggedness of Fort McHenry

called The Star Spangled Banner. Today it is our National Anthem.

While a Peace pact was being put together

in Europe, British military personnels were about to occupy New Orleans in one of the

most acrimonious terminations to one of the strangest wars of all clip. The

War of 1812 was over and British military personnels were traveling into Battle one last

clip. Andrew Jackson was the leader of the American forces in New

Orleans and his military personnels were good defended. Seven hundred British

military personnels were killed and over 13 hundred were wounded. The full British

force was routed. The Americans merely suffered light casualties.

Andrew Jackson became a national hero and gave the United States a much-needed

sense of pride.

I think the War of 1812 was the turning

point in American independency. It marked the terminal of the United States

dependance on Great Britain and the Americans wholly accepted it.

The War besides contributed to the strengthening of Canada. In the terminal

the United States eventually became its ain state.