The War of 1812 was a war that lasted approximately two to three years between the British and the United States it is also known as the “second war of Independence”, because of the agreement also known as the Treaty of Ghent, which of course ended the War of 1812 on February 17. 1815. This war was about the British cut off supplies to the United States because the British didn’t want to give supplies to the enemy; The Royal Navy also took seamen from the U. S. merchant ships and forcing them to work for the British, and also the last battle the Battle of Baltimore.
Great Britain restricted trade with the United States because of the war that the U. S. fought with France. During 1806 to 1812, trade restrictions were already in place in the American foreign policy, the U. S. also used this tactic during the American Revolution because the American colonies wanted the British to change their tax policy and trade policy. The Restrictive System is a system created by Thomas Jefferson, which restricted trade to hurt the other county economy rather than using our own military forces and at the end having the same end results without the work.
This strategy is also known as The Embargo Act of 1807. The Embargo Act is the exact same strategy as the “Restrictive System”. Jefferson plan using the Embargo Act of 1807 backfired because with that system in use, many merchants are still getting those supplies and selling them at a high price in order to gain lots of profit for themselves even though it’s illegal. This act not only did not stop merchants from selling their products, but also the American economy was hurt more badly than the British or the French. Exports to America fell almost eighty-six million dollars from 1807 to 1808.
Many people lost their jobs, mostly sailors and farm prices eventually decreased. The system also created disagreements at home as well; many of the industries suffered because of the setbacks that the government have placed on them, causing them to think that the government is only trying to expand their own powers for their own benefit. Angry protesters in New England wanted the government to get rid of the Restrictive System (The Embargo Act of 1807) rule and not want the government to interfere with the trade and the economy anymore.
At the End the Restrictive System (The Embargo Act of 1807) weren’t that effective as planned; the only way Americans could get back their shipping rights were to go to war. Impressment commonly known as “press gang” was a method of recruiting by force. The British navy due to the lack of funds and the lack of qualification of seamen the British navy usually suffers tremendously of manpower. The term “press gang” took place on the land and sea where the gang that was usually armed would board those merchant ships, and would eventually take those men on board and whatever else was on board.
Impressment was unlawful back in the thirteenth century during Queen Elizabeth times. However under British law the navy had the right to take men off of the Great Britain street arresting them and placing them into the Royal navy and that also includes all men that they see. During the 1793 and 1812 the British had impressed or “press gang” more than 15,000 U. S. sailors to be on their side of the fleet for the Napoleonic War with France. By June 18th, 1815 the government had enough with the French taking U. S. sailors to fight for them.
The United States declared war on Great Britain for impressment on the U. S. merchants or sailors. After the fall of the Napoleonic War the British and America decided to sign the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812 The Battle of Baltimore was the last war that was fought during the War of 1812. “The Star Spangle Banner” the United States national anthem written by Scott Key was a poem, he wrote what he saw on a British ship that an American flag signaling that the British attack had failed and that America was t Victory.
On September 12, 1814 The British landed near Baltimore, coming from the Victory of at Washington burning down the White House along with other government buildings. The British didn’t have enough troops to take Baltimore so they had to retreat and surrender. The Battle of Baltimore was the final battle of the War of 1812. The War of 1812 cost the British nearly ten million pounds and it almost cause the U. S. to nearly go bankrupt.
John Quincy Adams wanted to restore back everything like it was before the War, and the British decided that whatever you won you get to keep, but both side wanted the War of 1812 to end. The Treaty of Ghent was signed on Christmas Eve 1814 and ended the War of 1812. Both parties decided to meet in Europe (Belgium) and started to negotiate and work out the agreement. It took both the parties approximately one year to settle things and come up with an agreement. Great Britain finally agreed to give up the Northwest Territory and both parties promised that they would both work on ending the slave trade.