Repeated British Violations Respond A Discussion

After discussing the struggle that the Revolutionary War brought to the colonies in the previous unit, it was surprising to find out that the they emerged themselves into another conflict with Great Britain. To start off, one of the prime reasons for the start of the war resulted from “repeated British violations of American shipping rights” and forcing sailors off American ships. Great Britain was not in favor of starting a war due to being preoccupied with Napoleon; they even tried to end it before it started by ceasing interference with American shipping. The United States weren’t satisfied even after its rival’s efforts and wished to end the sailor’s impressment and Indian attacks. It is well-known today that the reasoning behind this decision to declare war is more or less unknown. There were multiple events that concluded with the American victory including the Battle of Lake Champlain and the successful defense of the British invasion at Baltimore. The ultimate end of the war resulted from the Treat of Ghent that was signed on December 24, 1814 where both parties also agreed to return their respective prisoners and restore previous boundaries. Though it was signed in December, it took about six weeks to reach the United States, therefore the fighting did not end until the Battle of New Orleans. One of the major outcomes of the war was psychologically, the reaffirmation of America’s freedom through their second war of independence. The war also encouraged a stronger economy in the United States due to the ceasing of trade with Europe. Another outcome included the westward expansion as the Native Americans were encouraged to leave.

Shi, David E. America: The Essential Learning Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2018. Print.