In “The War of 1812 as a Borderland War,” by Alan Taylor, the author discusses the civil war within the War of 1812. Many believe that after the Revolutionary war was over, the United States was set on a path to become what it is today. However, the author discusses just how unstable the country truly was. The people were divided, and many loyalists fled to Canada after the revolutions. Having a British colony as a neighbor made people on both sides of the border uneasy. The Americans were waiting for Canada to “(reject) the artificial rule of a foreign empire”(198), while Britain was waiting for The United States to collapse and beg them to rejoin the empire. While both waited for the others eventual fall, other factors led to them to war. …show more content…
Britain was at war with France, and France declared “a complete naval blockade of Great Britain.”(American Yawp Ch.7) This blockade cost the United States about 900 ships and over 6,000 men due to British impressments. In response, President Jefferson enacted the Embargo Act of 1808. As shown in document four, the only ones that suffered the consequences were the people American people. “The bold sailor from the ocean torn/ His starving children cry in vain for bread!”(186). The act “drove exports down from $108 million in 1807 to $22 million in 1808,”(A.Y. Ch. 7). This caused it to be repealed 15 months later, but left patriots with resentment against the British. This resentment was furthered when Americans realized that the British were arming the Native Americans in their