Why was the war of 1812 so crucial to the US?

Answer 1

It was important because it forced other nations to respect American independence. It was often called "the second war for independence". It also created a more unified United States.

And yet, while it certainly has been called that....the facts show it wasn't.

Had Britain started the war, invaded the US, and kept captured American territory, it could be seen as a Second War for Independence...but none of those things is true.

The United States started the war and attacked a neighbour, but was decisively defeated and pushed out of Canada in a series of battles, retreating so quickly that it surrendered Detroit, Buffalo and Fort Dearborn (Chicago).

The British also landed an force that captured Washington. Had they intended to reverse the American Revolution, they would have held on to Washington and NOT burned the White House, but they had no intention of doing so.

In fact, the British had just ended a much, much bigger war against Napoleon, and so hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened British troops were suddenly available to cross the Atlantic. Consider the effect that many troops would have had, given that just 5200 British troops had repelled the American invasion of Canada.

Even with a much, much smaller force, the British now occupied large portions of the US...but Britain was weary of war after the long struggle with Napoleon, and when the Americans asked for peace talks, Britain agreed, AND turned captured American territory back to the US: obviously not something it would do if it had any thoughts of of ending the US rebellion of 37 years before.

Answer 2

The War of 1812 was important to the United States on both a material and a much higher level. Materially, new fortifications were completed, attention to the tactics and conduct of the military increased, manufacturing development was hastened and/or initiated, Native strength was weakened or extinguished throughout frontier lands, and unprecedented social and political unity was achieved, among many other things. On a spiritual and moral level, the war resulted in greater confidence throughout the nation, with an increased sense of "destiny" infusing Americans at all levels of society.

Answer 3

The war of 1812 was the second revolutionary war, the day America won that war is Independence Day, also known as the 4th of July.

Well, apart from three things: it was in no sense a second revolutionary war, the United States lost, and July 4 marks the day, 36 years earlier. in 1776, when the USA declared its independence from Britain.

It was crucial to Canadians, whose country simply would never have existed had the United States won the war.

The notion that it was somehow a second revolutionary war ignores the fact that it was the US who attacked a neighbour, and that the British chose not to finish the job when they had the opportunity.

It was the second US invasion of Canada, the first being the Continental Army's failed attempt to capture Montreal in 1775. All through the first 12 years of the 1800s, American politicians openly discussed their desire to take Canada (which was not a country, but had been a territory by that name for almost 200 years).

And it should have been easy. Those politicians knew that Britain was in the middle of a huge and bloody war with Napoleon's empire, and the US had more than 20 times as many people as Canada. Even Thomas Jefferson called the forcible annexation of Canada "a mere matter of marching". It seems likely that an American victory would eventually produce "Manifest Destiny": occupation of the entire continent, apart from southern Mexico.

But Jefferson was very wrong. Ten separate American forces did invade, and, in a series of battles across Upper and Lower Canada, all ten were decisively defeated by Canadians, aboriginals, and a small core of British troops (so few that, during the entire war, there were more British troops based in Bermuda than in Canada.)

The British counter-invaded, burned the White House, and occupied large swatches of American territory, but showed absolutely no desire to undo the American revolution. Instead the two sides signed a peace treaty that simply restored the original borders.

A few weeks later, since word of the peace travelled slowly, Americans won a victory at New Orleans, and the British followed that with an equally important strategic victory, the capture of Fort Bowyer. Both had zero effect on the outcome of the war.

Ironically, that second American attempt at invasion brought two very separate English and French-speaking Canadians together to defend their land, and began the first serious discussions of nationhood, without which it seems likely that the various territories would have fallen into American hands, one by one.

It was crucial to the US because the British, having defeated the US invasion with just 5200 men, suddenly had close to a hundred thousand battle-hardened troops available after beating Napoleon, and ready to ship to North America and finish the job....had they wanted their colonies back. But the Brits had barely noticed this distant attack.

It was also crucial to the First Nations people whose homeland was soon flooded -- and obliterated -- by American settlers.

Answer 4

Many Federalists believed that the War of 1812 was fought to help Napoleon in his struggle against Britain, and they opposed the war by refusing to pay taxes, boycotting war loans, and refusing to furnish troops.

Answer 5

The War of 1812 was important because it gave the United States more states. I hope that, that answered your question.

Answer 6

because it was a war stupid

Answer 7

it was after the new orlands war

Answer 8

because your mom said so

Answer 9

It meant that the U.S. was here to stay