The War of 1812: What really happened?

[Evil Lawyer]

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

you wont be smiling when canada finally implements their plan, and 10 million canadians come marching int 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 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?

When this happens, I'll be the guy in Chicago waving a Union Jack wearing bright orange Pumas and wearing an Arsenal jersey. Please provide me with one of the said guns and save a spot on the deployment truck for me.

 

[A Username Not In Use]

It was a whole lot about impressment. British ships would impress (force) American sailors into working on their ships under the guise of catching people who had escaped their service on English ships. America was none too happy about this, and asked the British to stop. They refused. America proceeded to invade Canada (which was at the time English territory) in order to attempt force the English to knock it off. America proceeded to get its ass kicked up and down the Eastern seaboard, culminating in English troops burning down the White House (burn marks from this are still visible on the Eastern Portico). Fortunately for America, England had other concerns (like, as always, the French) to deal with, and signed a peace treaty which ended the war and stopped impressment.

A few days later, Andrew Jackson won one of the few American victories in the war, which went a long way to securing America's role as a military power. The fact that America's military was able to beat the English military in a single stand up battle was impressive at the time.

So, from the American perspective, it was about a righteous struggle against people being shanghaied into military service for a foreign country. I dunno about other groups, though. I've read a bunch of different accounts though, from both American and foreign sources, and this seems pretty consistent

Life was notably better in the Royal Navy than the Aerican Navy, its true that the only victory at sea was the capture of USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon, however a British Sailor had a regular rum ration, which the American sailor did not have, and a chance to earn prize money. For those not in the know when an enemy ship was capture it and its contence were sold and the money raised was divided between the crew responsable for its capture, during a time war such as was happerning between France and the rest of Europe at the time a man could make more money fro a few years service in the Navy than he could working as a merchant seaman.

It was a result of this that many exeriance American sailors joined both the Royal Navy and the French Navy, however to maintain the good relasionship with Franch (something that motivated Benadict Arnold thirty years earlier) France agreed to stop pressing experianced sailors.

As for Andrew Jackson's great victory in a rightous struggle, are we talking about the battle in Louisina ere he attack an exhaused army that was low on supplys and ammunition that was heading towards the sea in order to return home.

And finally as for America's role as a military power that did not take place until after the First World War when Wilson's idea of the League of Nations was rejected by Congress, so while the rest of Europe was conforming to the disarmerment brought about by things like the Washington Navel Treaty, America decided arm herself.

You have got to learn the difference between the history you think happened and the history that did happen.

 

[Mursam]

I was just wondering what people from around the world think of the War of 1812. quote]
Never heard of it before I saw this post (from Australia)

 

[Cousin_IT]

Americans should pay more attention to the war of 1812. Afer all, it did give them their national anthem.

That said; People in Britain probably couldnt tell you what the Seven years War was, despite it making Britain the most powerful of the European empires (& bankrupting it in the process, leading to the Stamp duty & other impositions that would ultimately lead to Americas war of Independence). Some wars just arnt as ingrained in the collective conscoiusness as others (like Americas war with Tripoli in 1805 for example ). TBH thats no bad thing.

 

[Dosed]

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

Maybe you should learn the meaning of the word 'sarcasm' too

 

[Iffypop]

I don't think our books should be believed completely so whatever.

Neither should any war film made their

Especially U-571 and anything involving D-Day.

 

[Iffypop]

Also, can I point out that Canada as such didn't exist at the time? It was a Colony, thus part of the British Empire! No Canadians were involved in the making of this war!

 

[The Potato Lord]

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...

Well.. technically America is two continents(North America and South America duh) and since Canada is part of North America so Khell just ripped on Canada too.

 

[Cousin_IT]

Well.. technically America is two continents(North America and South America duh) and since Canada is part of North America so Khell just ripped on Canada too.

thats just arguing semantics. When most people (in the UK & USA at least) referr to America they usually mean the United States of

 

[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.

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.

Yeah something between Russia I said. I was a bit foggy on that stuff, but all I care for is that the peice of music is pretty awesome. And Socials class deals with more important things that took place in Canada. (apparently. :/ Like the Winnnipeg General Strike?) So that's why
I didn't know about that one.