Since the conclusion of the Revolutionary War on 3 September, 1783, the newly created United States of America decided to keep the Continental Army as a defense against outside threats. However, the Continental Congress chose to disband the Navy for a brief period as it was not of the highest importance and the costs were too high to maintain it. The United States also attempted to practice isolationism for as long as possible during the post-Revolutionary War era because of the example that George Washington set as the first president of being an isolationist. However, the United States failed to adhere to these standards and waged war during a few occasions. The United States Army and Navy collaborated on several major wars during the period …show more content…
Although the British see it as another Napoleon proxy war, the Americans, Native Americans, and Canadians however, see it as a major war. The Navy had major success early on with the leadership of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Perry defeated Napoleon’s armies early in the Northwest territory. However, the Ghent treaty restored the old boundaries of British-Canada and the United States directly after the war. An assessment of the War of 1812 would say that the US had many successes from the joint-cooperation of the Army and Navy. However, the Army failed multiple times in supporting the Navy. The British were able to march all the way to Washington D.C. and burn the white house down. This was a notable failure by the United States Army. In addition, the treaty of Ghent saved the American Navy from any more considerable defeats by Napoleon’s Army as the British were winning late battles in the northeast. In summary, the War of 1812 was just the start of the militaristic era for the United States but the outcome did not come as …show more content…
The War of 1812 and the Mexican American War were testing grounds for the years to come. During the period ruled by the Article of Confederation, the army was only comprised of reservist and the Navy had been disbanded. After the Naval Act of 1794, which established a permanent and standing naval force, the military then became slightly of more importance to the United States Government. However, after the conclusion of the Mexican-American War, the United States realized the importance of having a strong military and what one can do, hence the acquiring of the Mexican Cession. Although only three major wars were chosen between the period of 1776 to 1865, these wars represent the chronological way that the Army and Navy grew during the early and mid-nineteenth century. In addition, these were the only three major involvements that the Army and Navy cooperated in together. Overall, the early nineteenth century was needed for the successful growth of the United States military. Without it, the United States Army and Navy may not have been ready for the Spanish-American War or even World War
The victory of the War of 1812 was a huge leap toward America becoming its own nation because of the national unity the win provided its citizens. The morale of the citizens lifted greatly because they managed to defeat the greatest military powers of the world and managed to survive. It also proved to the world that the american nation could defend itself from foreign threats. The victory improved America’s self confidence and faith in the military to defend the natiosn freedom and honor.
After the U.S gained their independence form Britain, they faced the greatest obstacle that would threaten their independence. This was a second war fought against Great Britain called the War of 1812. The war was fought on land and on sea and lasted almost three years. There were many forces that led Americans to declare war on Britain in 1812.
The war of 1812 was a very unnecessary war. It broke out just as one of its chief causes (The Orders in Council) was removed and its greatest battle (New Orleans) was fought just after peace was signed. The war was unnecessary from a British point of view but for the Americans it was inescapable. The Royal Navy had kidnapped 3,800 American sailors and pressed them into service. The Orders In Council had deprived the United States of a profitable trade with France and can be seen as having ruthlessly subordinated American economic interests to the political interests of the British Empire. American farmers also blamed the orders, perhaps unfairly, for a fall in agricultural prices that produced a depression in the West in the years immediately before the war. On the frontier it was universally believed that Indian restlessness war stirred up by British agents although really American oppression has to be seen as a big cause of this too.
Roosevelt had been influencing the United States Navy to be stronger ever since he wrote The Naval War of 1812, while he was at Harvard. Theodore Roosevelt’s book puts the war in a whole new perspective. Roosevelt with the help of Captain Alfred T. Mahan and Rear Admiral Stephen B. Luce identified that their common ground was that America had great power in her deep ocean waters and needed to use it. Those oceans needed a capable water fleet to operate them (The Naval Strategist). In 1890 Congress approved the building of the first modern steam-powered, steel-hulled ships. Out came the most excellent warships anywhere; they were named the Indiana, the Massachusetts, and the Oregon. Roosevelt was impressed with these ships, but he wanted more. Roosevelt wanted a two-ocean navy capable of attacking the Pacific and the Atlantic simultaneously (Grondahl 2015 246). Congress agreed and Roosevelt got what he wanted. Mahan and Roosevelt campaigned to strengthen the navy through their speeches and writings. The Navy was slow, bulky, short-haul monitors guarding the home shores and swift, light cruisers that shot out of protected ports to attack enemy ships. Theodore and Mahan’s writings and speeches changed that part of the Navy for the better (Grondahl 2015 246-247). Theodore changed the Navy several ways and not all by
The War of 1812, also known as “Mr. Madison’s War”, was caused by three main disputes between the British and the Americans: several trade acts oppressing America’s trade with both France and Britain, the recruiting of unwilling American men into the Royal Navy, and the British support of Native Americans resisting expansion. Although the unfair actions of the British brought forth much animosity from many Americans, there were still a good number of people opposing the war. There were many arguments between several political parties, and disagreements about the war continued on through the duration of it.
One problem was the US became very vulnerable to attacks when the National government could not raise an army. Since every state had their own currency, they placed taxes on each other’s goods. With no army, this left all of the states’ goods vulnerable to attack. Ships and vessels were most vulnerable to attack from pirates when transferring goods to other countries. Even though the Revolutionary War had ended, the Treaty of Paris was not enforced because the US had to army to enforce the laws within it. Also, the Northwest Territory that was given to the United States, was bein...
Indeed, many historians would agree that war was necessary, and the U.S. would have to win if it wanted to gain its true independence and be seen as a sovereign power. The Napoleonic wars in Europe made it impossible for Britain to give in to U.S., demands, since they felt the U.S., was in no position to threaten the British Empire with its control of the sea lanes. The issue for America was neutral rights that she felt as a neutral state she should be able to trade with any country including Britain and France. However, Napoleon saw things differently as he consolidated his control over most of Europe by capturing American ships which traded with the British under his Berlin decrees in order to starve the British of food and war materials.
In the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, continuing through Madison’s term, the United States initiated a policy to retaliate against the seizure of ships by the British and French. These three dominant nations entered a period between 1806-1810, known as Commercial Warfare. The Commercial War was a response by Americans to maintain their right of neutral commerce. The Acts by the United States, the Decrees by the powerful Napoleon I, and the Parliamentary orders, throughout the period of Commercial Warfare directly led to the start of the War of 1812, and helped build the commercial future of the United States.
When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British. This seemed like a justifiable cause for a war, however not all of the citizens shared the same sense of unity about the political issues the war was being fought over. The US was quite upset about the continuing impressment of American sailors into the British Navy and the seizures of American merchant trading vessels by the British. Another reason the United States wished to go to war with Britain was because of their dealings with the Indians in the West. The British were not only trading with the Indians, but they were also giving them weapons and encouraging them to attack American settlements. Along with these reasons, the Americans, now becoming hungry for land, dreamed of capturing British Canada and possibly Florida for the union. Also, the Americans still contained a certain degree of resentment from the Revolutionary War, which they were eager to take out on the British. Even though these were the causes the nation was supposedly fighting for, the entire nation lacked a major driving force to gain restitution for them. The nation was not really united for the cause, as backcountry farmers didn't care about what was happening to coastal shipping businesses, as coastal shipping businesses didn't care about what was happening to the backcountry farmers. Everyone was only concerned with their own problems, and not concerned with the problems facing the nation regarding the situations its citizens were enduring.
The War of 1812, also known as “America’s Forgotten War” and “America’s Worst Fought War,” was fought between the U.S. and Great Britain over violations of the U.S. seafaring rights. The British intrusion with American fur trade and their illegal impressment of seamen off American ships severely strained Anglo-American relations in the years before the war. According to the New Standard Encyclopedia, “There is considerable disagreement as to why this ultimately led to war and what this war represented. (W.30)” The strongest pressure of war came from Congressional leaders known as “the War Hawks” who mainly represented the western frontier and the South. Their main interest was the conquest of Canada and Florida. The British encouraged and supported the Tecumseh Indians, who had inflicted severe losses, to bring them the scalps of the American soldiers that ultimately led to the Massacre of Fort Dearborn on June 18th, 1812. The war ended with the treaty of Ghent. According to the “Just War Theory” outlined in this essay-- this war was an unjust war.
The War of 1812 was the result of ongoing political, diplomatic, and economic problems with the British and French, as well as expansionist/territorial issues with the Native American populations along the Western regions of the United States.
Being the first war that the United States fought as an independent country, the First Barbary war was a good lesson on the strengths and weaknesses of the US military system. The extreme necessity of the Navy and Marines led to their permanent installment in the US Armed Forces.
The War of 1812 threatened to destroy the young nation's pride. Washington had been burned to the ground, the Hartford Convention was in session, and rumors of a British armada had east coast cities beginning to panic. Into this atmosphere of gloom and doubt burst the news of Andrew Jackson's crushing victory over the British in New Orleans. "The brilliant and unparalleled victory at New Orleans, has closed the war in a blaze of Glory and the nation agreed with him that Jackson's victory placed America on the very pinnacle of fame." Jackson had lifted the pride and the spirit of nationalism in previously frustrated Americans, and thus, became a national hero.
Further, Daughan covers the British blockade on American ports and the Napoleonic Wars. First, the British blockade on 1813 made difficult for American flagships to leave ports because the British Navy blocked almost all American ports with the exception of New England which provided goods to the British Navy during the war. Secondly, Daughan adds that the Napoleonic wars had a major impact on the American local war; exclusively, Napoleon’s defeat in Russia gave more confidence to Britain for supporting the War of 1812 longer. In contrast, A.J. Langguth did not include in his book, Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence, any international aspect that might influence the War of 1812.
Ending in 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent, the War of 1812, fought between the United States and England had not accomplished any of the issues it was being fought over. The United States suffered a great deal of failure during the war that derived from the consequent lack of ability for the citizens to unite for the causes of the war. Through the constant struggle the United States faced throughout the War of 1812, it would be adequate to say that it was “America’s worst fought war”.