1812

Yesterday was not only my anniversary but the 200th anniversary of the start of what we in the U.S. call the War of 1812.  The U.S. House of Representatives deliberated for several weeks and the Senate subsequently agreed to declare war on Great Britain for grievances enumerated by President Madison. 

Just 36 years prior, 13 colonies became the United States of America.  The new country was now in an expansionist mode; claiming new territory on the continent and admitting new states to the union.  Ohio, part of the Northwest Territory, became a state in 1803.  At a time when the U.S. was attempting to control the mid west and western territories, the British were siding with and assisting the Indians and wanted to block the U.S. from taking over the whole continent. 

Great Britain had the largest navy in the world and was using it to restrict U.S. trade in Europe by obstructing our merchant marine vessels on the high seas.  During the war, many of our seaports were blockaded.   Great naval battles were fought there and also on the Great Lakes and in the St. Lawrence Seaway.   It was during the battle in Baltimore harbor that the Star Spangled Banner was written.

In 1812, Great Britain was already at war with France and Napoleon Bonaparte. Most of our battles with the British happened at sea until the Napoleonic Wars were completed at Waterloo.  In 1814, the war raged on and the British Empire eventually invaded the U.S. and it's territories.  Huge battles were fought in Baltimore, Chesapeake Bay, New Orleans and New York.

The war was ended by the Treaty of Ghent signed in December of 1814; neither side claiming victory.  The Brits looked at the war as a sideshow to their war with the French Empire.  The major continuing influence for the U.S. after the war was a spirit of nationalism that was reborn and the determination to build a navy that would control the future of our country.

:-)