The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1814. It was sparked by British raids on American shipping and the impressment of American sailors into the British navy. Though both sides were unprepared for war, the Americans launched invasions of Canada while the British targeted coastal cities. By 1814, neither side had achieved their objectives, and they signed the Treaty of Ghent to end the war and restore peaceful trade.

1. The War of 1812
(1812-1814)

3. • In the seas, American shipping was often
raided by French and British privateers and
increasingly by the British Navy itself.
• Eventually the United States came to terms
with the French after the United States Navy
stepped in.

4. • However, the British continued their pillaging
of ships, taking thousands of American citizens
capture, and conscripting them into the British
military for use in the ongoing Napoleonic
Wars raging in Europe.

6. • With that, an occurrence of the British
overstepping their bounds in a raid on an
American ship over a few deserters, plus an
American lust for more land caused the
United States, with President Madison at the
helm, to declare war on the United Kingdom
on June 18, 1812.

8. • Both sides started the war ill-prepared. The
British had to focus most of their troops and ships
on the European battlefield, so few
reinforcements came at the commencement of
hostilities. They paid dearly for that once the
Americans started their Canadian incursions. The
Americans, though quick in their recruitments,
had only 7,000 troops at the start, and most were
poorly trained. Their only advantage was their
superior naval force on their northern border.

11. • With the closing of 1814, the United States had
lost hope of capturing Canada, and the English
attempts at capturing cities in the US had failed.
With this in mind they came together and signed
the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.
• This treaty caused Britain to remove its blockade,
and resume trade with America. It was stated in
the treaty that the native Americans in the area
of the lower great lakes would make peace with
America and end all hostilities.

12. Conclusion
• The War of 1812 was a played just a small part
in the long history of the United States, but it
proved that we were now in charge of our
own destinies, and that we wouldn’t be
pushed around by old powers any longer. It
also provided us with a new anthem, and gave
us the opportunity to move further to the
west because of the loss of British forts after
the war.