The War of 1812

Overview

Twenty-nine years after the end of the American Revolution, conflict between Great Britain and the young United States flared up again. The War of 1812 broke out for a variety of reasons, including Britain’s seizure of American ships, impressments of American sailors into the British navy and restriction of trade between the United States and France. American victory in this war is often said to have finally solidified the independence achieved in the Revolutionary War and given America continental hegemony.

Key Lecture Points

  • 2025 marks the 210th anniversary of the end of the conflict that has come to be known as the War of 1812. This was the first war the US fought after the Revolutionary War, and once again, the foe was Britain. While it is one of the lesser-known wars in US history, it played a significant part in the establishment of a national identity. Despite a conclusion that simply reasserted the pre-war status quo of the disputed territories, this war left lasting legacies of military legitimacy and continental sovereignty. It also created two recognizable emblems of the nation: the “Star Spangled Banner” and “Uncle Sam.”
  • This war was also an important stimulus to the establishment of a Canadian national identity. Many historians agree that were it not for the war of 1812 and the need for the Canadian territories to band together to fend off the attempted seizure of Canadian territory by the US, the development of a national Canadian identity might never have happened.
  • The war did result in the defeat of the North American Indian Confederacy by US troops and consequently facilitated unhindered US westward expansion. After the war, the removal of Native American tribal groups, and the absorption of Native American lands into US territory proceeded rapidly and comprehensively.
  • During the war, James Monroe held the dual roles of Secretary of State (1811-1817) and Secretary of War (1814-1815) under President Madison. Monroe would ascend to the Presidency in 1817 and declare American dominance in the Americas.  Declared in 1823, the Monroe Doctrine remains a cornerstone of US policy in the Americas to this day.
  • The war bestowed on the US a greatly enhanced reputation with the “Great Powers” of Europe as a consequence of US achievements in holding Great Britain at bay. After the war, the Great Powers ceased to interfere in US trade. US economic prosperity soared as a result of this post-war “Era of Good Feelings.”   

Discussion Questions

  • What were the main grievances of the US against Britain?
  • How different do you think the outcome would have been had the Napoleonic wars not ended when they did?
  • Knowing what you know now about the War of 1812, does it change the way you hear “The Star-Spangled Banner”?
  • Dolley Madison left a lasting legacy for First Ladies. Who are your favorite First Ladies and why?

More to Explore

Books for Further Reading

  • Borneman, Walter R.. 1812: The War That Forged a Nation. Harper Perennial, 2005. 392 pages. Borneman extracts people and events and integrates them into a popular narrative of the conflict's campaigns and battles.
  • Hickey, Donald. The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, Bicentennial Edition University of Illinois Press 2012 480 pages. An excellent single volume history of an early American conflict poorly understood by most people.