The Second Independence War: The War Of 1812

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The War of 1812 was an armed conflict between the United States and Great Britain that lasted 3 years from 1812 till 1815. In this war, often labeled as “the second independence war”, there were a number of battles that cost both sides countless lives and resources. It followed a period of great tension between the two nations as a result of the treatment of neutral countries by both France and England during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
The Indian conflicts in the old Northwest soon merged into the wider conflict with Britain, now known as the war of 1812. Between 1809 and 1812, Madison teetered between declaring either Britain or France America’s primary enemy, as attacks by both countries on U.S ships continued. In 1809, congress replaced Jefferson’s embargo with the Non-intercourse Act, which prohibited trade only with Britain and France and their colonies, thus opening up other trade routes to alleviate the economic distress of American shippers, farmers, and planters. By 1811, the …show more content…

In August 1814, British ships carrying about five thousand troops sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and quickly caused hysteria in the national capital. They British troops burned the Whitehouse, the capital and a newspaper office. Next, instead of holding the city, they decide to head north and attack Baltimore. However, due to a fierce defense by the Maryland militia, the attack on Baltimore wasn’t to any fruition. In the same month, the British troops made mistakes that cost them battles on Lake Chaplain.
Five months later in January 1815, a number of British troops landed in Louisiana. The troops encountered General Andrew Jackson and his militia just outside of New Orleans. They defeated the British troops and Jackson quickly became the hero of the battle of New

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