Two for Two
We did it again!
The Reasons for War
While we have wished for peace that we may build our new nation, we were forced into this war once again by our former Lords, the British. Their arrogance led them to steal sailors from our ships and bolster their own declining navy against the French. Many yearned for war right away, but we were turning our eyes to the North for assistance. Canada is a nation built like ours, on the lives of our brothers, and so we invited them to join our brotherly nation. Our invitation was met with more bloodshed, as the British in Canada worked to take territory from our nation. All of this had led us to hesitantly declare war.
The Battles
Of course, no war is won without a battle. There were a certain few, however, that were more important than others. The siege of Detroit for example, was an utter loss for our country. General William Hull was surrounded and his army dispirited, and so he heroically surrendered and spared the lives of his troops. Like in the past, however, we returned to the fight with a vengeance. In the battle of Lake Erie, our navy ousted the British and were able to not only reclaim Detroit later on, but also break up the Indian Confederation that had allied with the British. Our foes are no less cunning for their loss, however and managed to burn our new nations capitol building during the time we were retaking the north. Of course, as we Americans do not stand down, we forced the British to retreat when they attempted to take Baltimore and Fort McHenry. Finally, to deliver the final blow, we held multiple skirmishes with the British troops in New Orleans and kept them at bay until such time as a treaty could be ratified by America's government.
The Effects
The war itself may have seemed to have inconclusive effects, but we profited greatly from it as a nation. Our troops that were once disheartened and without morale now had the strength to carry on and lead our nation to victory. All of us stand united now more than ever as a nation in our own right. Most importantly, however is that we have learned to be self-sufficient after the trade embargo during the war and can now make our own supplies to trade.
Treaty of Ghent
The symbol of our new peace, this treaty restored relations and borders to the way they were prior to the war with Britain. While it did not address any of our pre-war grievances, it was enough to put this war to rest.
Andrew Jackson
Our great General who led the charge in the Battle of New Orleans, this man truly fought for the glory of America with all of his might. Glory was the great spoil of war for him, as he rose to fame almost instantly after becoming a war hero through those battles.
The Hartford Convention
The Federalists were dissatisfied with the ongoing hostilities and so they sought to air their grievances to each other. They came up with several radical policies such as removing the three-fifths compromise, and requiring a two-thirds majority in congress for new states, laws, and wars. Andrew Jackson's overwhelming victory in New Orleans stripped the Federalists of most of their credibility and caused them to lose all of their influence as a major political party.