Discussion Topic
Some people call the War of 1812 the second war of independence. In this discussion, you'll look closely at the outcome of the war, and you'll decide for yourself whether the U.S. was better off after the conflict ended.
Discuss at least one of the following questions with your classmates. Be sure to support your arguments with evidence from your reading:
- In the War of 1812, the U.S. lost money, resources, and lives, and the British even sacked the capital. Was it worth it?
- The Treaty of Ghent returned the U.S. and Britain to the status quo ante bellum (state of affairs before the war). Was the U.S. better off after the war?
- What did the U.S. gain by fighting the War of 1812? Was it a fair exchange for what it gave up?
Required Reading
Before you enter the discussion, be sure to read the related pages in your textbook. If you're using Tindall and Shi, see:
| 8th Edition | 7th Edition | 6th Edition | 5th Edition |
| Chapter 9, pages 359-375 | Chapter 9, pages 334-350 | Chapter 9, pages 354-372 | Chapter 9, pages 387-406 |
Scoring
This discussion is worth a maximum of 15 points. You'll get 10 points for your first post. Your instructor will give you another 5 points if you post a follow-up comment or question that furthers the discussion.
The US was better off after the War of 1812 because they showed Britain and the world that they are not a force to be taken lightly. The war led to an increase in nationalism and added to the military and naval victories of the nation.
ReplyDeleteWhile the United States suffered many loses in the war, the ending of the war established the U.S. as an independent nation which was revolutionary for us at that time. Until the war of 1812 many areas, in what is now states, were not safe for settlement. The war allowed the United States to emerage with a new image, an image in which the world had never seen of the United States before.
ReplyDeleteTo Shahnaj: I agree with what you said. The United States definitely emerged from the war with a new sense of nationalism and a new image that the rest of the world had not seen before.
ReplyDeleteThe War of 1812 was definitely worth the fight for the United States because it provided for a greater sense of nationalism and Respect from other countries to view the US as a superpower and a country to be reckoned with for a lack of a better term. The War gave the US lost territory that was captured by the British and also more cooperation of the Native Americans when it dealt with land development. This war was indeed a good for the US where it allowed the country to be seen as a country that is developing and shows that the nation is completely independent from the country of Britain.
ReplyDeleteOriginal:
ReplyDeleteI believe that the war of 1812 was worth the U.S. lost money, resources, and lives, and the British even sacked the capital because it allowed the U.S. to defeat Britian and show how capable they were despite their economical problems. I think the U.S. was at the same position it was before the war, the same amount of land was given towards each side. After the War of 1812, The U.S. earned new nationalism, international respect, their military became more professional; I believe that it was a fair exchange through the U.S. struggle what was given to them. The U.S. couldn't earn the pride and nationalism without defending themselves.
Original:
ReplyDeleteThe United States gained the respect of the world by defeating a well-known and feared nation at a time where they were only a fledgling country. Through this, they were able to build the country into what it is today. The war was also important in the aspect that it showed the Americans where their weaknesses lay concerning their ground army as opposed to their superiority in naval affairs. Another way the United States reaped benefits from the war was through the lowered resistance from the Native Americans which allowed them to propel forward to the west and settle homes out there without having to deal with confrontations from the Native Americans.
Original:
ReplyDeleteBy fighting the war of 1812, the U.S. gained territories such as Lake Superior, Maine, and territories on the Pacific Coast. However, the U.S. gave up upper Canada to the British. I think that this trade off was a fair exchange because although the U.S. gave up territory northward, it gained territory westward. This new territory helped to spur westward expansion, which would ensure that the United States didn't have any other bordering countries from the east or west as well and helped to hold the growing American population.
To Shinece:
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with your ideals, The War of 1812 did solidify the U.S. as an independent nation from Britain even after the American Revolution. It allowed the British to see that they were capable of the same victory as years prior.
To: Alex
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, the war did in fact reestablish the American image. In my opinion, the War of 1812 is symbolic of the continued American protest against British tenure of the time.
To Shinece:
ReplyDeleteI agree with you in the aspect that the war promoted nationalism within the United States because the United States needed the support of its citizens in order to succeed and proceed without any setbacks. If the citizens were bolstered by a growing sense of pride, then the country would reap the benefits since the citizens would then work together in order to make the country better.
In response to Jasbir, I agree completely with your statement because I too believe that the war was a great success for the US. I also agree that it shows that the US was beyond a fledgling country and a country that was and is indeed a superpower.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Jasbir, I agree completely with your statement because I too believe that the war was a great success for the US. I also agree that it shows that the US was beyond a fledgling country and a country that was and is indeed a superpower.
ReplyDeleteBecause of the War of 1812, the United States had gained international respect for successfully suppressing British forces which would help them later on. The U.S. military became more versed in how to successfully win battles and hold off armies. The U.S. also saw an increase in manufacturing which allowed them to develop new inventions and better supply their military.
ReplyDeleteOriginal:
ReplyDeleteThe War of 1812 was not worth the lost in money, resources, and lives. The War of 1812 escalated into a war after the United States decided that they could not deal with anymore British invasion. The British were capturing ships and imprisoning American citizens. With a lot of persuasion, mostly from a group of men in the House of Representatives (War Hawks), the United States engaged in war. The War of 1812 was not worth it. Americans considered the war as a great achievement, while the British barely acknowledge the war. Even while fighting France, the British still put up a good fight against the Americans. What if fighting the United States was the most prominent item on the British agenda? The war wasted time, money, and human lives all because American wanted to assert their newly acquired freedom.
I believe that the United States was better of after the War of 1812. This is because the United States gained international respect after being able to hold off the British Empire. Also, the US citizens felt a new wave of nationalism after proudly beating the British off their homeland. We were also able to gain back our territories at Maine, the Pacific coast and near Michigan. This would be a springboard for our expansion out West with the formation of the Transcontinental Railroad. Lastly, our military was more experienced and would receive better training helping lower the Native American resistance and fighting the Future Mexican-American War leading to more territorial gains.
ReplyDeleteTo Shinece:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the War of 1812 was worth the losses that the country suffered. Though we lost territory, we were able to be seen as a major player in the world and we kept casualties to a minimum.
To Shinece:
ReplyDeleteI agree that the War of 1812 was worth the losses that the country suffered. Though we lost territory, we were able to be seen as a major player in the world and we kept casualties to a minimum.
you are absolutely correct. Could you explain how nationalism grew after the war of 1812? If you answre this in depth it would add an extra analysis for your answer
ReplyDeleteI believe that the War of 1812 was worth it even though we suffered many losses including money, lives, and resources. This is because even though the War ended with a peace treaty, The Treaty of Ghent, Our various victories created a new image for the US. We finally showed the world that we were not only proficient in Naval attacks but ground assaults as well. We also showed that we would not allow the British to interfere in the American Economy and reduce Native American resistance against us. The US was clearly better after the War because it allowed provided us with territory and a stronger image. Although this was beneficial to our society some provisions of the Treaty of Ghent were not fair trade offs because we lost many of our freed slaves which negatively impacted the work force because we had less workers.
ReplyDeleteYes, the United States gained power and influence on the world stage as a result of the War of 1812. As a result of the War's military accomplishments there was an intense sense of nationalism in Americans. In addition the war weakened the power of the Native Americans which lead to increased westward expansion and manifest destiny.
ReplyDeleteTo Everyone
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree that the War of 1812 did allow the United States to ascertain a great amount of nationalism as well as various other rewards for fighting the war, is pride really worth it? The answer to that question is based on your opinions of pride. Whether pride is considered a positive or a negative. The way I see it, think of the United States as a young child vying or the attention of an adult. The child uses various tactics to illustrate some trait or action that gains him the recognition he desires. But in the end after the attention fades, all you have is an almost false sense of accomplishment and your still a child.
We declared war in 1812 for a number of reasons, a desire for expansion into the Northwest Territory fueled by Manifest Destiny, trade restrictions because of Britain's war with France, British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion, and the degrading of American honour. In order for Ameica to continue to grow and prosper, I believe the war was a necessary evil. Nobody wants to fight wars, but we needed to fight this. And after the war we can see why we needed too.
ReplyDeleteShevana: The War of 1812 was a very costly war, but in the end we were able to expand our country to the west and continue to grow and prosper.
ReplyDeleteThe war of 1812 was a reaction that was caused by a number of disagreements between the U.S and Great Britain. The U.S was in debt post the war but I believe that the U.S gained a sense of pride and freedom. The belief that the U.S is supposed to expand and broaden their agriculture, economy and society further prompted the outcome of the war.
ReplyDelete