War Of 1812 Dbq

The War of 1812 was the first war officially declared by Congress. This was the war that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner. Because of the War of 1812, the U.S.A. was able to secure its independence and have its national anthem written, even though it did not become the national anthem for a few more years. The War of 1812 was a very influential war to American history. According to Andrew Wright, “2500 American troops and 800 British soldiers fought a classic battle in linear formation.” Fighting in a linear formation is one of the fastest ways to end a battle, but not the most efficient. Because the USA had more people, they risked a linear battle and the British were gentleman-like and proper, so they fought like that a lot. But it would have been more effective if the US soldiers ambushed because then they would have most likely lost less lives. One type of battle strategy of the US was a “bend but do not break” strategy. This strategy was to force the British ships into kill zones in the area around Fort McHenry.
One type of battle strategy of Britain was to surround North Point on land and sea so they could not escape (The Campaign for the National Museum of the United States Army). On September 12,

won the War of 1812 won because they were able to take control of the Great Lakes with their navy and beat back the British because their boats were more maneuverable than the ships of the British. This made sure the British had to find a new way to get control of the U.S. The U.S. was also able to win because they held out against the British during the Battle of Baltimore, and in doing so, inspired Francis Scott Key to publish the Star-Spangled Banner. The final battle to secure independence was when the U.S. beat the British at the Battle of Plattsburg at Lake Champlain (History.com). The U.S and Britain held peace negotiations in Belgium and officially ended the war on December 24, 1814 by signing the Treaty of