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Effects of the War of 1812
Directions: Read the article about the effects of the War of 1812 and create a “map” of the information
using Canada, United States and Britain as your core topics (bubbles).
Overall Outcomes
The Treaty of Ghent officially ended the War of 1812. No land changed hands, and relations between the United
States and Britain would remain peaceful throughout the 19th century. Border adjustments between the United
States and British Canada would be made in the Treaty of 1818. The issue of impressing American sailors no
longer became an issue when the Royal Navy stopped impressment after the defeat of Napoleon.
Effects on the United States
The United States did gain respect from other countries for managing to withstand the British Empire. The
confidence of the citizens was high because they had fought one of the great military powers of the world and
managed to survive, which increased feelings of nationalism (patriotism); the war has often been called the
"Second War of Independence." The war also contributed to the demise (end) of the Federalist Party, which had
opposed the war.
A significant military development was the improved professionalism in the U.S. Army officer corps, and in
particular, the training of officers at the United States Military Academy ("West Point"). This new professionalism
would help during the Mexican-American War (1846–1848).
The War of 1812 had a dramatic effect on the manufacturing capabilities of the United States. The British
blockade of the American coast created a shortage of cotton cloth in the United States, leading to the creation of
a cotton-manufacturing industry, beginning at Waltham, Massachusetts by Francis Cabot Lowell.
Effects on Britain
The War of 1812 had little impact in Great Britain and was generally forgotten, since it was considered to be
insignificant when compared to the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo on June 18, 1815.
Effects on Canada
Many Canadians considered the War of 1812 to have been an American defeat because the American invasions
of 1813 and 1814 had been repulsed (turned back). The war was a matter of national survival. It united the
French-speaking and English-speaking colonies against a common enemy. At the beginning of the War of 1812
it is estimated that perhaps one third of the inhabitants of Upper Canada were American born. Some were
United Empire Loyalists but others had simply come for low-cost land and had little loyalty to the British Crown.
After the war, many Canadians gained a sense of nationhood, as well as a sense of loyalty to Britain.
War of 1812 History. Effects of the War of 1812. Researched March 10, 2011.
http://www.warof1812-history.com/Effects-of-the-War-of-1812.aspx