The War of 1812: What really happened?

[tthor]

Well I wasn't there... I'm American and if our school history books are to be believed we both agreed to a tie or something... I don't think our books should be believed completely so whatever.

history is nvr exactly how it happened. no matter what, the story is almost always bent slightly in favor of the side that won, (since the other side isnt alive to record there story), and that becomes the accepted 'history' of the event. if both sides survive, then they both recall the story with a slight biasness in it, and then you have slightly contradictory storys of the same event.

 

[tthor]

war of 1812...when was that?
dam, i really should have payed more attention in history class...

Funnily enough, it DIDN'T take place in 1812...

O_O
now i REALLY gotta stop sleeping in history class,
then i might actually be able to remember stuff like this

 

[Anarchemitis]

Wasn't that a war in which alot happened between Russia and the German Empire or something and Tchaikovsky wrote a symphony for it? That's the only 1812 War I care about because to my knowledge nothing really happened from that war between Canada & USA other than having the US invent White House mk. II.

 

[tthor]

The British won with a 1.4:1 kill ratio, America hasn't picked a fight with Canada since, mission accomplished. Some times a bully just needs a bloody nose once in a while and they back off, and nobody fucks with Canada.

The thing is, no one really cares about the War of 1812 but CANADIANS. And mainlanders at that--anyone from the Maritimes couldn't give a damn about the War of 1812. Canada didn't get to write the history of 1812 because it won--it got to write the history of the War of 1812 because...no one else cares about it. There were other things going on in 1812 like...Napoleon invading Russia, which is what everybody but Canadians care about.

For Americans confused about why all the Canadians just went bugfuck in this thread and turned into the kind of people who write into the O'Reilly Factor, you have to realize: the War of 1812 basically plays the part of the Revolutionary War in our national consciousness. It's the war that united Lower (French) Canada with Upper (English) Canada.

So cut them some slack--after our Revolution we got a Supreme Court. They got to have the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council back in England as their court of last resort until the 20th century, and their head of state is appointed by the Queen. They need *something* to make them feel like a real country, and Taco Bell serving french fries just won't do it.

--an American who seriously misses Harbord Fish and Chips.

intersting... i guess i nvr realized the war of 1812 had such an affect on Canada

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Wasn't that a war in which alot happened between Russia and the German Empire or something and Tchaikovsky wrote a symphony for it? That's the only 1812 War I care about because to my knowledge nothing really happened from that war between Canada & USA other than having the US invent White House mk. II.

Tchavikovskies 1812 symphony was because, conicedentallly at the time, Napoleon retreated from Russia. I would suggest you wake up and pay more attention to history.


And the 1812 war, as far as i can tell, consisted of a bunch of American and British politician arguing over various issues, ending with the Americans saying:

'This is not fair. We have rights'

And the British saying:

'We don't give a shit. We've got the better army and navy.'

And the war basically ambling along into a stalemate which after 1814 the empire could easily afford.

 

[tthor]

And the 1812 war, as far as i can tell, consisted of a bunch of American and British politician arguing over various issues, ending with the Americans saying:

'This is not fair. We have rights'

And the British saying:

'We don't give a shit. We've got the better army and navy.'

And the war basically ambling along into a stalemate which after 1814 the empire could easily afford.

sounds about right

 

[Portoparty]

nobody fucks with Canada.

greatest. quote. ever.

 

[darknight910]

Wasn't that a war in which alot happened between Russia and the German Empire or something and Tchaikovsky wrote a symphony for it? That's the only 1812 War I care about because to my knowledge nothing really happened from that war between Canada & USA other than having the US invent White House mk. II.

If the White House get's burnt down again, will the White House Mk. II have a gold and hotrod red paint scheam?

 

[werepossum]

Both sides got some of what they wanted. The fledgling USA (having already proved it could beat Britain - the War of Independence was merely a generation back, remember) failed to drive the British out of the New World but got Britain to stop seizing their ships and sailors, even though Britain clearly had the maritime power to continue doing so, got the British to leave territories ceded to the USA after the War of Independence, and ended British support for the American Indian tribes fighting the US forces. Britain failed to recapture its former colonies but cemented the boundaries of the USA to protect its Canadian territories (and even more importantly, ended US support for the foul and most utterly foreign French, thereby ending French power in the Canadian territories as mentioned) by demonstrating that while they could not beat the USA in a protracted, long distance guerilla war, they could march in and destroy US cities pretty much at will.

It was a strange war. Britain was much stronger at sea, yet lost almost every maritime battle. Britain won almost all the early battles (except Fort McHenry), brought in large numbers of reinforcements, and then lost almost every battle.

It was also a pretty good war as wars go. Both sides got some of what they wanted, neither side was so successful as to be tempted to do it again, honor was served, and both sides claimed victory and went away more or less happy. I think cake was served.

 

[Seldon2639]

It's only major importance is that it emboldened the United States into believing it could run with the other superpowers, causing us to actually start enforcing the Monroe Doctrine, build up our navy, all of that. It was a formative thing. The only way it becomes irrelevant is if you assume that events in history don't build on each other. When you look at current American supremacy, you have to draw the thread all the way back to 1812 to think about this as being the first time America had actually gone toe to toe with a major European power without backing from another European power.

 

[tthor]

I agree with the NAFTA Reason anyway... And I like SHAPELY butts, but not so much big ones...

dont trust the canadians ;O_O;

you wont be smiling when canada finally implements their plan, and 10 million canadians come marching into the U.S. and begin their quest for world domination! nobody would ever expect little ole' canada to ever do anything like start a war, until half of canada comes charging in with guns. (and ill be the 1 pointing to you all saying "i told u so!")

...u nvr no, it could happen. what else are they using all those guns for?

 

[Evil Lawyer]

why does every1 have to always rip on america?

Because it's fun
Because they deserve it for all the grief they've caused
Because it's easy
Because it's Friday night and we have nothing better to do
Because Canada's on top
Because its the one country that has pissed off every single nation currently in existence
Because of Bush
Because of Florida
Because they stole our best hockey players
Because we can
Because of Homeland Security
Because of NAFTA
Because they like big butts and they cannot lie
Because we're no longer afraid of them
and of course, Because they do it to us...

Speaking as a Brit who has lived in the States for the past eight years, I must say that the powers that be here are not my first choice for leaders and their actions certainly do not help with making international friends. And I have to agree with about 95% of this.

Hehe, at least you can take comfort that the U.S. will never steal your best curling teams.

Anyway, the way the War of 1812 was always presented to me as more or less win-win for all sides, though some obviously came out better than others. My classes usually focused more on the events of France and Russia during this time.