Abstract
The War of 1812 may have been a small and inconclusive war, but it had a profound and lasting impact of all the belligerents. The war may be largely forgotten, but it left a huge legacy that is still evident today. Wars can best be measured by their consequences, and the legacy of this war was both multifaceted and lasting. The conflict shaped both the United States and Canada as well as their relationship with Great Britain for nearly a century thereafter. It helps to explain how the Anglo-American alliance originated and why the British welcomed the Pax Americana in the twentieth century, as well as why Canada never joined the American Union and why American expansion after 1815 aimed south and west rather than north. It was during the War of 1812 that the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh earned his reputation, Laura Secord became famous, and Andrew Jackson began his rise to the presidency. Its impact on American culture was also far reaching and produced ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, Uncle Sam and ‘Old Ironsides’, amongst other symbols of United States nationhood.
Highlights
The war resembled the colonial wars of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in that it originated over issues in Europe but was fought in North America
The British retaliated with the Orders-in-Council, which banned all ships and goods that had not passed through Britain from the Continent
Other British practices on the high seas put a further strain on Anglo-American relations
Summary
How to cite: Hickey, D.R., ‘The Legacy of 1812: How a Little War Shaped the Transatlantic World’. Open Access: London Journal of Canadian Studies is a peer-reviewed open-access journal
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