The War of 1812
By any criteria the years following the War of 1812, otherwise known as the "Era of Good Feelings," must be considered a time of exceptional growth and development in the United States, but above all, it may be considered a time of evolution and ripening of American nationalism, unification, and economic prowess. The war of 1812 was a very problematic war. States did not fulfill their duties, while commanders and leaders were not informed or supplied enough to keep up the war. But what awakened during this time and afterwards is something much greater then victory. The war wasn't just about Britain holding land and impressing American sailors into their navy; it was a second war of independence. It was the first war as a united country, and it was a small new nation against a large European empire. That we survived woke us up, and let us know that we did have a nation. For the first time, we were united, not for a fight of our homes and freedoms, but for ideals (The Awakening of American Nationalism, AAN).The war of 1812 began long before war was declared. It began right after the war of Independence. The British were not too fond of us breaking away from their empire, and they soon figured out that many revolts were because we
Nagel, Paul C. This Sacred Trust: American Nationality, 1798-1898. New Many people at this time also began to move westward. They no longer wanted to be kept in their little towns. They wanted to have their own farm large enough to make them all wealthy. Problems were encountered with the Indians though. Many of the Native Americans did not want to be moved off their sacred land. Most were forced off though, either by federal troops or just by the sheer amount in which people were moving out. They could not resist the movement of a nation, and their "destiny" to build an "Empire of democracy." American Nationalism, 1776-1820. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina The children of our nation did go through a great change though. Many of them wanted to be president. The leaders of our nation such as the president and the congress were looked upon in awe. They were proud to be Americans, because it meant freedom. There were no huge wars like the Napoleonic Wars of Europe. The nation was at peace with itself and with most nations of the world. Manifest destiny one again became a reality. York: Oxford University Press, 1971. Many people felt a national pride at this time. They had fought against one of the strongest empires of Europe and kept up with them. They did not win, but they did not lose either. They simply put forth enough energy to get the job done, then afterwards were no more content to build up a better military then to engage in another conflict. Nothing had been lost, but nationalism had been gained. Americans saw this time as a time to expand upon their economy, and to build an empire of merchants. had fought and won. They taxed our merchants, and hassled our ships, but they crossed the line when they began to impress our sailors into their navy. They claimed that these people had "deserted" the royal navy and should be given back. Though they may have been right on a few occasions, it has been proven that many innocent people were forced to be in the royal navy.
Some common words found in the essay are:
American Nationalism, Proud American, Era Feelings, Independence British, France Britain, Americans Weather, Native Americans, President Madison, Jefferson British, Mahon War, war 1812, american nationalism, encyclopedia encarta, awakening american nationalism, fetes american nationalism, united fight, royal navy, build empire, awakening american, john mahon war, national pride, perpetual fetes american, sailors navy, midst perpetual fetes, war independence,
Approximate Word count = 2022
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
