Library Literacy 1210
Mrs. Soules
December 12, 2007
Although the Great American Revolutionary war had ended in the 1783, there was still great hostility between the newly formed government/nation of the United States of America and the Empire of Great Briton. The building of the U.S. government had taken many years to be formed and well structured after having to have served under the empirical British Empire. The early years of the next century, the American government began to decrease in military findings believing that there would be no further use of military conflicts. But in the several years leading up to the engagement of 1812, the American government, people and its military has been threaten by the British Empire. With many years of frustration and hostility between both nations, the U.S. government had no choice then to declare war on the Empire.
Prior to the American declaration of war, the British military forces had been fiercely involved in the war with French dictator Napoleon. Over the years prior to June 1812 the British government began its restrictions on the American government There four reasons to why the Americans declared war on the British Empire. Historians argue that the British Empire, stressed by its ongoing fight with the Brits are linked to the struggle with Napoleon. There seems to be four reasons why the American government declared war with the British Empire and as historians argue is due to:
First, the British began to restrict American-French trading. As was sought as a way to disrupt and impose economic sanctions of both countries. Moreover the British began to see the American maritime naval fleets as a threat. Because of its increasing size, they were becoming the largest in the world. With people and the parliament believed that this could threaten the economy in Britain.
Second, a more feasible reason to declare war on the Britain was due to the imprisonment of American naval sailors. Many years prior to the War of 1812, American ships had been boarded by the British fleets and had been captured. Money would drastically diminish the American economy due to such theft. Moreover, the British fleets would station themselves in American territorial harbors and waters. The British would simply search for contraband and impress naval sailors from American land.
Third, the American government had speculated the British military and government had been supporting the Native American tribes. The British military had involved themselves in the destruction of American military forces; the British had helped the Native Americans in the Ohio-Indiana-Michigan area.
And finally, the controversy in the takeover of Canada had been long believed to have been a quest of the Madison administration. President Madison and his staffed believed that the takeover of Canada would disrupt the British operations in Canada. Although many believed that Canada was merely a place to stage a war front with Britain and set the people of Canada free.
Overall, the war ended with casualties on both sides, the American U.S. Army had failed to successfully invade Canada. The reasons to go to war with Britain factors the either were established or never finalized. In truth the war neither gained nor lost land, but it did in fact gain border lines. The British Royal Navy stopped the impressments of American sailors after the defeat of Napoleon. And the American military had to face the increasing struggle with the Native Americans.
I started out in the CSUEB academic search premier database. Some good information was presented. But I would like to note one special fact, at the beginning of this assignment, having not researched the war in many years, I had the notion the British military had invaded the American land for territorial reasons. As I researched I learned that the American forces had declared war on the British Empire. That being, I began my search with many different sites. I used a World Wide Web such as the wiki on the War of 1812.
After finding some good search on wiki and the Academic Search Premier, this topic is fact and is widely known. I considered going with what I know or researched. The War of 1812, very interesting war had engulfed me in the history of it. I read and picked out the better or more important information. By considering what is more important I was able to consider and evaluate the parts that matter most; the reasons for the war and the consequences of the war. Ultimately, I did nothing to change my strategy because I needed not to. The War of 1812 is a straight forward subject, and one that does not need further examining unless I was writing a history account. By selecting the wiki and the two sources that I found in the academic search premier database I was able to gather what I read and used it knowledge.
Czech, Kenneh P. War of 1812: New facts come to light, but some myths still persist.
Military History; Mar2007, Vol. 24 Issue 1, p69-70, 2p. Academic Search Premier.Retrieved December 12, 2007.
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=23935253&site=ehost-live
War of 1812. Wikipedia. Retrieved December 12, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812
Wineman, Bradford A. Don’t Give up the ship! Myths of the War of 1812. Military History: Mar/Apr2007, Vol. 87 Issue 2, p123-123, 1/3p. Academic Search Premier. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=25012944&site=ehost-live
I ensured that the information given was accurate by comparing the information on all three sites and proving that they are real. If I were to continue this project I would certainly find more information on War of 1812 in encyclopedias in libraries or on the web such as MSN encyclopedia. I certainly use the Gale Virtual Reference Library knowing that it will provide great information for this topic. Also, the US Census on the number of Americans that lived in and after the War of 1812 to determine the larger forces America was facing. My questions would formulate the understating of ethics such as:
1. What did the British naval fleet hope to accomplish by blockading and imprisoning American sailors?
2. Could of the takeover of the Canada change current history as we know it?