The War of 1812

The War of 1812 had a profound impact on the development of North America and the relationships with Britain. To each country involved, there was a different purpose and struggle to the war. For Britain, the War of I8I2 was an added burden because of the current ongoing war with France. For the Canadians, it was a scare and and an almost empty aggression gesture put forth from the United States, and for the United States, it had an unclear objective and ultimately settled nothing. In such a situation, such as the war, it is necessary to consider the reasons as to why the war began, analyze and understand their strategies, the outcomes of battles, various campaigns, and the overall outcome of the war.

There are many reasons to why the War of 1812 began. The first main reason was America's desire for Canada. American leaders saw that Canada was not being well defended by the British and took upon themselves to believe that the people of Canada would be willing to join the United States. During this time, many British sailors had been tormenting American ships and eventually took over and captured many American citizens. This humiliated the United States and made them upset with the British. Later, soon after James Madison was elected president, Warhawks dominated Congress and wished to declare war on both the Native Americans and the British. This wish occurred because the British was supporting the Native Americans with weapons and supplies so they could attack and torment homes on the frontier. Madison finally gave in to their wishes and declared war on the British.

After the war began, both countries had to come up with a successful strategy that would keep their country safe. Throughout the war, strategies changed drastically. At the beginning, Britain's strategy was to British continue to fight and be engaged with its other worldwide battles and only fight defensively in the War of 1812, and try not to lose. However, their strategy quickly changed and by 1814 their war with France was over and they were ready to fight offensively. On the other hand, America's strategy was to take Canada on head first. They wanted to go North and hold Canada and all its land ransom until they surrendered. The capture of Canada ultimately failed leaving the United States with many lost battles.

Along with many smaller battles in the war, there were many larger battles that played a role into the outcome of the war. The first major battle was the Battle of Washington. This battle occurred in Washington D.C. in 1814 when the British invaded. The British soldiers invaded and burnt the Capitol and other important public buildings, resulting in a British victory. The next battle that left a significant outcome on the United States, was the Battle at Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key, a prisoner of the British saw an American flag flying over Ft. McHenry, after an American victory, and was inspired to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” The third and most important battle of the war was the