Was the war of 1812 a draw?

Answer 1

Very much so until the Battle of New Orleans when Andy Jackson had a resounding victory over the Redcoats. The war however had already been resolved when this event took place. The British had sacked the US Capital which put them ahead by some counts. That however was merely a payback for US actions against Canada. The US forces recovered their momentum at Baltimore. Communications between Europe and the Americas was terrible and resulted in hundreds of un-essntial deaths.

Answer

It was not a tie at all. The United States chose to attack a neighbour with the specific goal of forcibly annexing Canada, which Thomas Jefferson called "a mere matter of marching."

He was terribly wrong. In a series of battles, the invading force was decisively defeated by a much smaller force composed of British soldiers, Canadian militia, and natives. The Americans fled back over the border, and beyond, surrendering Detroit, Buffalo, and Fort Dearborn (Chicago).

The British counteroffensive took the coast of Maine, and famously invaded Washington and burned the White House. But the Brits were involved in a much larger war, against Napoleon, and were happy to negotiate a peace treaty.

Two battles occurred after the peace treaty: the Battle of New Orleans, an American victory, followed by the Battle of Fort Bowyer, which the British won.

An American victory in the war would have obliterated the future of Canada, but the Americans were defeated in their war aims. Additionally, the Treaty of Ghent addresses none of the US "grievances".

Ironically, that American attempt at invasion in 1812, and Canadians' successful defeat of the invasion, was crucial in igniting a discussion of nationhood between the very separate French- and English-speaking cultures that led to the creation of Canada as a country, so it's logical to see the outcome as a Canadian victory.

Answer 2

In my opinion it was:The British won because they defended Canada but lost because they lost territory, had to give fishing rights in the Great Lakes to the U.S. and failed to reconquer the U.S. The Americans won because they drove out the British and avoided reconquest but lost in their attempt to annex Canada. The Canadians avoided annexation but with British help. Overall it was a draw because nobody won this really pointless war (the main reason it was fought was because the Brits were forcing Americans into the Royal navy to battle the French but this ended before the war).