War Of 1812 Dbq

The War of 1812; A War that forged a Nation
The War of 1812 lasted from 1812-1815, and was fought between the fledgling nation of the United States of America against the British Empire, including its North American colonies, as well as its Native American allies. The war was brought about by many reasons: The British War against Napoleonic France led to a paralysis of American trade, the impressment of U.S. merchant sailors into the Royal Navy which further impeded the American economy, British support of Native American tribes’ opposition towards American westward expansion, as well as outrage over affronts against national honor, notably due to British actions at sea. However, after nearly three years of war, no conclusive winner was determined.

The embargo of 1807 reduced the amount of desperately needed foreign goods. To compensate for this deficit, enhanced manufacturing became necessary, seen most notably in the Lowell System in the Northeast. The inventions of Francis Cabot Lowell allowed the Boston manufacturing company to coalesce all of these processes and procedures in the facility at Waltham. With peace, New England became a textile mill center (Borneman 259). This progression of manufacturing led to a larger middle class, as people found the desire to buy luxury goods for themselves once again, leading to economic enhancement. Nationalism was further highlighted by the Tariff of 1816 - the first tariff in American history, which was instituted primarily for protection, not revenue (Borneman 261). The expansion of industrialization as a result of this enlarged middle class demonstrated America’s need to expand their self-sufficiency; because before the war, America greatly relied on foreign countries. The War of 1812 revealed the necessity for a better transportation system, economic independence, and independent markets, all of which came to fruition as a result of the

The necessity for this better network to move goods manifested itself in this desire for improvement. After the War of 1812, demand increased for better roads and canals to expedite the transport of goods across the nation (Dudley). This improved package of commerce and transportation directly contradicted the attitude of Agrarian Republicans like Jefferson who hoped that industrialization would not dominate America or its politics, fearing the inevitable shift of the country into continuous international turmoil. Jefferson’s fear was realized as nationalism manifested itself in manufacturing, with patriotic Americans taking pride in the factories that had recently mushroomed forth (Dudley). After the war, many Americans felt differently due to the war’s stimulative effect on the economy. The improvements to the U.S. economy were important because they greatly augmented the already-lacking infrastructure of infant America, setting it up for future success, later seen in Clay’s American