The war of 1812 is highly elevated, even though there are a lot of misunderstanding and controversy surrounding it. In the Americans’ view, the war was a continuation of the American Revolutionary War, in which they had to defend their independence from the British aggression. In contrast, the Canadians recall the war with a lot of desire and brag of beating the Americans to the extent of burning down the White House. Nevertheless, neither the American nor the Canadian view has any merit. The Britain did not have resources sufficient to conquer the United States. Even still, Canada could not have survived without the support of the natives and the British. The notion that the Canadians burnt down the White House is incorrect since it was an act of the British. Even that the British and Canadian militiamen were fighting a just war was just fiction.
The main objective of the Americans was to annex British North America and the policy of the British policy with regard to trade. The native North Americans played a significant role in provoking the war. Americans refer to the war as the forgotten war. Some historians maintain that there was no reason for the war because it only resulted into loss of life and resources. The Congress declared war after the British revoked the failed to honor treaty agreements and subjected American vessels to seizure and interception. Britain suspended the provocative order after a week of the declaration, thereby eliminating the obvious reason for going to war. It is argued that if there was efficient communication and a little patience, American could have not participated in the war.
Additionally, the historians view the occurrence of the war as insignificant. The Great Britain and America reached an agreement on a treaty that did not address the issues that triggered the war after fighting for three years, and close to 6000 American casualties. Until mid 1820s, the disagreements over naval rights and policies of trade those were present before the still persisted.
Apart from these historians, another school of thought emphasizes on the importance of a rejuvenated form of nationalism and patriotism that become significant in the period preceding the war. The election of the Congress in 1810 returned a multitude of people who have never held political position. Their votes primarily came from the South and the West. They came up with a more forceful, confrontational American nationalism into the American administration system. Even though Americans were not happy with maritime policies introduced by the British, they had were not able to make positive changes for the wellbeing of the politicians or their followers. These Northerners and Westerners were less impatient compared to the Easterners regarding the issue of failure by the British government to reconsider maritime rights. This led to the Americans realization of the need to defend the rights of its citizens.
The selfish regional ambitions of these new political leaders from the west were a key motivation in the war. They contemplated acquiring the southern part of Canada in order to expand the American. The British troops that were stationed in western Canada encouraged resistance of the Native Americans to the expansion to the west. Nonetheless, these regional, self-serving motives did not take into account the principle demands for realization of the American rights. The main reason for the was to acquire Canada and consequently add new territory for the expansion of America. On the other hand, native American did not support the expanding American territory. The reason for this was that the British army camping occupying the region had encouraged resistance.
The war served as the best means of analyzing the main reason behind territorial wars. It is evident that Americans were divided on the issue simply because they held different ideas. Some thought that it was the responsibility of the nation to defend the right of its citizens and could therefore try to extend their territorial border. Actually, supporters of the war took the opportunity to satisfy their personal interests while pretending to act on behalf of the national interest. Both of these issues depended on how citizens perceived of America as a sovereign nation charged with the duty of defending and extending progressive ideals. With this in mind, the American military failure in War of 1812 served as a good lesson for the nation to embark on promoting progressive ideals and protecting the nation from external attacks.
American military failure in War of 1812 gave the young nation a lasting appreciation of the important role that the military played in preserving the liberty of its citizens. Without a strong army, the war could have continued destroy the country and even make America to lose its independence, ultimately destructing prosperity of America. The war also helped American military realize that they could not rely on the nation’s geography as a defense mechanism. As a result, the nation would have to increase the number of army troop as well as establish ocean navy, capable of conducting both defensive and offensive actions on a large scale.
In conclusion, the war of 1812 gave American a lasting appreciation for the role of military strength in preserving the liberty of its citizens. Otherwise, the nation could have experienced a serious disaster that could have made it to lose it independence as well American prosperity. It also gave the nation a chance to analyze its strengths and weaknesses as it relates to protecting its territory.
Bibliography:
Henretta, James, and Brody David. America: A Concise History, Volume 1: To 1877. Bedford: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2010 .
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty and Voices of Freedom. Volume 2. Columbia College Custom Edition: W.W. Norton, 2011.
Stuart, Reginald C. Civil-Military Relations During the War of 1812. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. 2009.
