Why the War of 1812 is sometimes called the 'Second War for Independence'?

Answer 1

Leading up to the War of 1812 Great Britain had been contributing to the harassment of American trade. British naval ships were stopping American ships, mostly merchant and not naval, and pressing -- or rather, forcing -- some of the American crew members to join the British Navy on the grounds that American crew members were supposedly "British citizens" who had deserted and become American. America, having declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, had citizens that were English in descent, but who now considered themselves American citizens. You could call the War of 1812 a "Second War for Independence" if you consider the idea that America had to stand up and reinforce that they were their own country with their own citizens and trade.

However, the facts suggest it can't be seen that way. 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.