The CHET:
CHET Narrative:
For the better part of the eighteenth century, the North America continent was subject to the whims of European empires that sought to establish control in the region. However, the Seven Years’ War of between 1754 and 1763 changed the situation by eradicating not only the Spanish but also the French forces from the region. In other words, the English Monarch secured its rights over the Thirteen American Colonies over which Britain presided.
Now, the problem with the removal of France and Spain as a threat to the colonists quickly emerged as sentiments of independence resounded among the Americans. Apparently, the notion of a distant ruler with the power to exert authority without the peoples’ consent was unacceptable to the Americans. After all, if the Seven Years’ War proved anything it was the efficiency of the colonists as subjects of the Monarch, not servants meant for exploitation. Eric Foner writes that the Americans “contributed soldiers and economic resources” to aid in the war effort: hence, they considered their numbers an extension of the mother country as opposed to mere colonies (2011, p.185). The British did not harbor the same ideas. As one would expect, disparities between the mother country and the colonies went on to unleash a sequence of unprecedented events that redefined the perceptions of patriotism in America. A division between Patriots and Loyalists was the first outcome since the former faction embraced ideologies of self-governance while the latter insisted on remaining under the control of the Crown.
The mentioned conditions were perfect for yet another war: The American Revolutionary War of between 1775 and 1783. The victory of the Thirteen Colonies paved the way for the much-coveted democracy that contrasted the mechanisms of the mentioned monarchical rule of the British. Central to the Revolutionary War was the Declaration of Independence that declared “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” the inalienable rights of all Americans (Foner, 2011, p.201). Evidently, democracy meant everything that the English Crown deemed unacceptable; hence, it was no wonder that the Articles of Confederation worked against a strong federal government (Foner, 2011, p.259). As the first form of government for the newly independent United States, the Articles also served as evidence to the peoples’ distaste for the British Empire and their decision to join forces during the Battle of New Orleans, in 1815.
The War of 1812 was a test to the Union as it marked yet another confrontation between the ex-colonists and the forces of the mother country. Arguably, defeat would have meant the return of the British and more limitations: colonization encompassed the loss of democracy, and the Americans were not ready for the same. Consequently, the inhabitants of the United States, regardless of race and social standing, joined forces against a common foe in the Battle of New Orleans. By that logic, the new confrontation between the two sides highlighted the foundations of the Declaration of Independence by testing the strength of the Union. Therefore, the Battle of New Orleans epitomized unity by bringing together not only slaves and masters but also Red Indians and pirates. Americans defended their lands and rights and upheld self-governance as per the dictations of Jefferson’s writing in the declaration.
References
Foner, E. (2011). Give Me Liberty!: An American History (3rd ed., Vol. I). New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
