War of 1812
By: Justin Doan
What was the War of 1812?
The War of 1812 was a battle between the US and Britain which started in 1812 and lasted two years until in 1814 when the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium was signed. This was the war which produced the US national anthem as well as saved the famous George Washington when Dolley Madison grabbed it from the White House when the British set the White House on fire.
Causes of the War
The War of 1812 came as a result of many different domestic problems within the US. A major problem was that there was a big need for land in the US. With the US needing land to support its ever growing population and to create farms and such to make money, this caused problems with Britain, who wanted this land. It also caused tensions between the US and Native American tribes, which of course had alliances with Britain. Native Americans were not very happy to that the US was trying to claim their settlements and with Britain, got mad at the US. The US were also mad at Britain for kidnapping their sailors when they would look for runaways from the British navy on American sailors, also known as impressments. Also, the US was influenced by War Hawks- Democratic-Republicans who were pro-war in fighting the British. The southern and western regions of the US were also pushing for the Us to engage in battle with the US.
Who was Francis Scott Key?
Francis Scott Key was imprisoned on a boat negotiating the release of an American taken prisoner when the British fired at Fort McHenry. Francis watched as in the morning when the attack had ceased, the American flag was still waving, proving that the Americans had not surrendered. Moved by the sight, Key wrote a poem titled "Defence of Fort McHenry". More than a century later in 1931, the first verse of the poem was adopted to become the US national anthem.
Effects of the war
The effects of the War of 1812 were, for the most part, beneficial to our country. Because we could no longer sell our cotton to Britain (Because we'd gone to war with them), we ended up creating a cotton industries among other industries, which boosted our economy. The fact that we'd been able to hold our own against the biggest army in the world had not only boosted the American morale but our country had gained worldwide respect.
So...was the war even worth fighting?
Well, it's tough to answer, but,in conclusion, it really wasn't. Sure it sparked cloth manufacturing and many other industries and we did gain worldwide respect for sticking up to one of the biggest superpowers in the world. But, it started to divide our country into the north and south. The north didn't want war and was totally fine being peaceful while the south wanted us to fight. The war of 1812 in a way sparked tensions between the north and south which in the end led to the brutal, bloody civil war, one of the worst times in American history. So, while we gained a lot economically, the Civil War and the segregation from the war that's still present today just didn't make the War of 1812 worth it.