War of 1812
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The War of 1812 was fought between the British Empire and the United States from 1812 to 1815. In the end, there were few, if any, changes to things as a result of the war.
[edit] Causes
The United States started the war because of several things. Some people in the United States wanted to assert full independence. Some people also wanted to expand into Canadian territory. Great Britain was fighting a war against France and Napoleon Bonaparte during the same time. Great Britain stopped many United States' ships from selling things to France during that war. Great Britain would also take Americans off United States' ships and make them work in British ships. This was called impressment. This angered many people in the United States.
[edit] The fighting
There were many battles on both land and sea. The United States attacked Canada, but was beaten. The British invaded the United States, and actually burned down the White House. The national anthem was written by Francis Scott Key during the war. Great Britain also stopped the United States from being able to trade with other countries by surrounding the United States with its ships.
The final battle of the war took place in January of 1815. The British attacked near New Orleans and were beaten by the Americans and General Andrew Jackson. The battle took place after the peace treaty had been signed.
[edit] Peace
The War of 1812 ended with the Treaty of Ghent. The Treaty of Ghent was signed in Ghent, Belgium. Both sides thought they had won, but no changes really took place.
