The impact of the War of 1812 on British North America and the United States The War of 1812 was fought over the maritime rights of American merchants, British ships were impressing and looting American ships which damaged the American economy as well as the general morale of the American people. America entered the war after James Madison declared war on Great Britain, British North America (Canada) entered the war as a colony of Great Britain but American forces made advances on Canada that soon spurred more Canadians to join the patchwork militias of Canadian, British Regulars, and Native Americans that made up the Canadian defense. Canada was involved first as a defendant against American invasion and then as a major belligerent particularly …show more content…
The end of the Federalists had a reaching impact in American politics because it led to an era of single party dominance by the Democrat-Republicans. This single party era was dubbed the “era of good feelings” due to the unity and cohesive national purpose of the American people as well as the end of the disputes between the Federalists and the Democrat-Republicans. (US history 23a) A lasting impact of the “era of good feelings” is the Monroe Doctrine and its oppositional policy regarding European colonization of the Americas. The Monroe Doctrine has been a lasting tenet of United States foreign policy shaping the path for the ideas of Manifest Destiny and United States expansionism that rose to new heights after the war (pbs). Throughout all of these events the ideas of nationalism rose after resurging in the American people after victory in New Orleans and the end of the War of 1812. However despite the external unity and cohesive nationalism of the American people, tension was brewing between the North and South over the issue of slavery and in the newly admitted states, this tension grew and eventually ended in the Civil War. (civilwar.org). The War of 1812 had a significant economic impact on the United States, the war