Poll: Why is it that some Americans believe they won the war of 1812?

[Godavari]

For one, most Americans don't even know anything about the War of 1812 except the name, let alone who won. There's a real nationalism here that basically says "USA wins every war" and so when they don't know the answer, that gap is automatically filled in with the nationalistic response.

 

[quiet_samurai]

How could they have lost when they repelled an attacking force who was invading and then chased them back into their territory? They lost nothing, but they didn't gain anything either. It wasn't really that important of a war as far as American History goes and is barely even touched on compared to the Revolution or the Civil War because it didn't have any real consequences for the nation. At the time the British were still sour at the American's for their revolution and the Americans hated anything British, it was just a big dick measuring contest that really had no political ramifications except the building of a new Washington. As far as wars go it was kind of a joke.

 

[x434343]

Technically it was a tie.

Mentally, we Americans won. We were reinstating our sovereign right as a nation. Plus we stopped impressment and told Brits to stop brning our Executive Mansions. Only Makarov and his Ultranationalist forces may do that. :3

 

[Logic 0]

The war of 1812, canada's second greatest acehivement where americia learned not to mess with canada, or they would have to face the wrath of our lumberjacks and canadian lumber.

The americans beleive they won the war because they don't want to relive there greatest failure of all time.

 

[rockingnic]

It's not accurate to base a win on casualty numbers, and I'm not saying US won either. All you have to do is cut off the head and the body will eventually die. If you kill a leader, it's better than killing 10 normal soldiers.

 

[YuheJi]

I don't think casualties determines who wins a war. The Russians definitely beat the Finnish in the Winter War, but took massive casualties. The British set out to retake their colonies from a fairly new government and small country. They failed. And that is why it is typically seen that they lost.

 

[Timotei]

Does it matter who won? The end result is that the British then began to respect the United States and saw them as viable nation. Ever since then the US and Britain have been the best of allies.

 

[GradonSilverton]

http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.popupplayer&sindex=-1.12&shuffle=false&amix=false&pmix=false&albid=10637951&artid=10974241&sseed=0&ptype=3&stime=24.763&ap=1&rpeat=false

That's Why Opion. Well that an the fact that the US obtained it's main 2 objectives... the
#1) The Ceasing of the British involvement in assisting the "Indian" question (British had been assisting the "Indians" in their raids in the Border lands).

#2) Establish of US sovereignty in Commercial Naval Trade & acceptance of US sovereignty by the European nations which considered the US a fun little squeaky wheel up to that point. This lead to the establishment of US Navy in a true sense and the power behind US Policies as the Monroe Doctrine less than a Decade later.

 

[Souplex]

Because America always wins.

 

[AdmiralMemo]

I'm thinking it's the mindset of "We didn't lose, right? Therefore, we won!"

But seriously, the War of 1812 isn't taught much outside of "Stupid British burned down the White House" and "Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry" and then the history books go onto the Civil War.

 

[dududf]

Erm, wtf?

Just post a opinion not spamming pictures. and you don't know a thread is going to fail until someone comes along and acts like an idiot (looks at people posting pictures) Oh shit they already arived.

Learn to type right and then we'll talk about idiots, okay?
Learn to make non-biased, interesting threads and then we'll talk about idiots, okay?

Or you can contribute and not be an ass.

Just post, I posted it from my point of view adn from ym information and i'm trying to figure out WHAT happend, hell look at the poll options, I included I have my facts wrong. I posted what I knew. this thread was made so I can clarrify for myself, because i'm perplexed as to what happend. Don't knock me on typing, or grammer, as it is the thoughts i'm trying to convey that you should focus on instead of being some Grammer nazi.

Also posting pictures and saying "[/thread]" or flame bait, is being idiotic.

 

[dududf]

I agree that if the U.S. had "won" then we would have lots of Canadian land, but if Britain had "won" then there would have been quite a bit of territory differences in the North East and West.

Thanks for the info, but I have a question as to this quoted area. wasn't there some "Treaty" that went out, and it basically involved canada returning a something 10,000,000 acres of land, as well as acess to the st lawrence for fishing? I think in return, it established the 49th parralell, and also prohibited America from Naval bessels on our great lakes...

If you could explain more on that point it'd be nice

BTW Thanks for a intelligent post =]

 

[Flos]

You keep saying, "Soon to be Canada."

Canada didn't become a nation until fifty five years later, comrade. That's not soon by any definition. In fact, it didn't actually gain full independence from the UK until 1982.

No, the friendly Canadian's didn't beat the big ol' mean country hicks that were in America. You need to get over that, it's showing your bias.

Eeeedit: Also, I like how you ignore the people who post rational discussions in favor of attacking people posting pictures. That's certainly supporting having a friendly discussion, comrade.

 

[dududf]

You keep saying, "Soon to be Canada."

Canada didn't become a nation until fifty five years later, comrade. That's not soon by any definition. In fact, it didn't actually gain full independence from the UK until 1982.

No, the friendly Canadian's didn't beat the big ol' mean country hicks that were in America. You need to get over that, it's showing your bias.

They officially recieved their name July first 1867, from which is why I kept on saying "Soon to be Canadians"

And it's hard not to have bias, when you only have 1 side of information, and thus why I'm ASKING for the other side to clarify. Just answer and be helpful so Myself and others can learn history.

 

[Berethond]

Erm, wtf?

Just post a opinion not spamming pictures. and you don't know a thread is going to fail until someone comes along and acts like an idiot (looks at people posting pictures) Oh shit they already arived.

Learn to type right and then we'll talk about idiots, okay?
Learn to make non-biased, interesting threads and then we'll talk about idiots, okay?

Or you can contribute and not be an ass.

Just post, I posted it from my point of view adn from ym information and i'm trying to figure out WHAT happend, hell look at the poll options, I included I have my facts wrong. I posted what I knew. this thread was made so I can clarrify for myself, because i'm perplexed as to what happend. Don't knock me on typing, or grammer, as it is the thoughts i'm trying to convey that you should focus on instead of being some Grammer nazi.

Also posting pictures and saying "[/thread]" or flame bait, is being idiotic.

You know what grammar is for? For helping you convey the thoughts you're trying to express.
Imagine that.
<spoiler=Here's what happened in the War of 1812>On to Canada over Land and Lakes
1. American troops were weak and scared
2. The US should have captured Canada, but the war plan was poor
3. The Americans instead tried to invade Canada from Detroit, Niagara, and Lake Champlain-all
were beaten back by the Canadians.
4. The Americans then attacked by sea and were more successful - "Old Ironsides"
5. Oliver Hazard Perry captured a British fleet in Lake Erie.
6. Battle of the Thames (1813) - General Harrison's army overtook the British at Detroit and Fort
Malden
7. Battle of Plattsburg
- a. The British sent reinforcements after the Napoleonic Wars ended
- b. Thomas MacDonough forced the invading British army near Plattsburgh to retreat on
September 11, 1814
- c. He saved the upper New York from conquest.
Washington Burned and New Orleans Defended
1. In August 1814, another wave of British came in and advanced on Washington
- a. They burned the Capitol and the White House
- b. American militia scatter - "Bladensburg Races"
- c. A Hurricane came through and cleared them out
2. The Americans held firm at Baltimore
- a. British canons could not capture Fort McHenry
- b. Key writes the Star-Spangled Banner
3. The Battle of New Orleans
- a. Andrew Jackson in command
- b. British, overconfident, lost 2,000 men
- c. Jackson becomes hero, and a wave of nationalism ensues
- d. Was fought after the peace was signed
The Treaty of Ghent
1. Tsar Alexander I of Russia called the Americans and British to come to peace because he didn't want his British ally to lose strength in the Americas and let Napoleon take over Europe.
2. John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay went to Ghent for the signing. Both sides stopped fighting
and conquered territory was restored.
3. The Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium, was an armistice.
4. None of the initial grievances of the US were mentioned
5. "Not one inch of territory lost or ceded!"
Federalist Grievances and the Hartford Convention
1. The Harford Convention
- a. Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island met in 1814 in Hartford, Connecticut for a
secret meeting to discuss their disgust of the war and to redress their grievances.
- b. Demands
- - i. Financial assistance from Washington to compensate for lost trade from
embargos.
- - ii. Constitutional amendments requiring a 2/3 vote in Congress before an embargo
could be imposed, new states admitted, or war declared.
- - iii. The abolition of slavery
- - iv. That a President could only serve 1 term
- - v. The abolition of the 3/5 clause.
- - vi. The prohibition of the election of 2 successive Presidents from the same state
(combating VA Dynasty)
- c. After the victory at New Orleans and Ghent, the Convention seemed petty
- d. The Hartford resolutions marked the death of the Federalist party.
The Second War for American Independence
1. The War of 1812 showed other nations around the world that America would defend its beliefs
(militarily).
2. The most impressive by-product of the War of 1812 was heightened nationalism
3. Sectionalism and disunity took a back seat
4. Manufacturing boomed (also because of embargos)
5. American culture and art is born
6. The army and navy were expanded and the Bank of the United States was revived by Congress
in 1816.

 

[quiet_samurai]

AAAAAAAAND the White House burned burned burned, and we're the ones who did it...

I'm thinking it's the mindset of "We didn't lose, right? Therefore, we won!"

But seriously, the War of 1812 isn't taught much outside of "Stupid British burned down the White House" and "Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry" and then the history books go onto the Civil War.

I believe you mean Canadians fighting for the British.

Dude they weren't even Canadian at the time. There were no Canadians at the time, Canada didn't even become a country until about 50 years later and still retained sovergnty (sp?) under the British crown until the 1980s, some 100 plus years later. Canadians claiming victory for the War of 1812 is like Americans claiming victory for the French & Indian War... we were still technically Brits at the time.

 

[cambodiancam]

If you lose by more casualties then the Russians have lost everything.

 

[AdmiralMemo]

AAAAAAAAND the White House burned burned burned, and we're the ones who did it...

I'm thinking it's the mindset of "We didn't lose, right? Therefore, we won!"

But seriously, the War of 1812 isn't taught much outside of "Stupid British burned down the White House" and "Francis Scott Key wrote the Star-Spangled Banner at Fort McHenry" and then the history books go onto the Civil War.

I believe you mean Canadians fighting for the British.

Yeah... Tell that to the history books that tell us we were fighting the British. If any American even knows about the War of 1812, they'll tell you we fought the British, because that's what's in our books.