Nathaniel Gies (1748940) Proving a Nation and a Lasting Peace Historians differ in opinion on the true significance of the War of 1812. Some say it wasn’t even a war, but rather a minor portion of Britain’s war with Napoleon and that did little to develop their former colony. Others say it was one of the most important events in establishing the United States in the world. But what was the true long-term impact of the War of 1812 on the United States? At a glance, gaining historical perspective on this war may be difficult through our modern expectation of clear-cut “winners” and “losers”, or one party giving complete surrender to the other. Because of the war’s give-and-take conclusion via the Treaty of Ghent, it could be easy to dismiss the …show more content…
In an effort to hamper France economically during war, Britain had declared Orders of Council, which were intended to restrict neutral countries’ trade with France. Being a neutral country, the US took issue with the hampering of its free conduct of trade with other countries; an extension to the ideas of freedom that they revered at home. In retaliation the US barred British ships from its ports and then emplaced a full embargo (Roosevelt 6) (Zuehlke 52). This, when combined with the violent Leander Affair, Chesapeake Affair, and Little Belt Affair, war became inevitable (Roosevelt …show more content…
Once the fighting commenced, the British won the first victory at Fort Mackinac in July 1812. This small victory, won without any loss of life, reaped a large reward for the British in terms of support from Indian tribes (Turner 36). Though the United States suffered some losses, it also had its share of victories. One of the most notable, in that it was a victory over both the British and Indians, was the Battle of the Thames in 1813 in which Tecumseh was killed (Turner 61). Like many of the US victories, however, the overall strategic effect, at least in terms of territory acquired, was limited (Turner 62). The most lasting effect of this American victory was that with the death of Tecumseh, Indian forces in the west signed a cease fire and stopped fighting the United