The War of 1812

Conflict research paper

Michael Bringhurst

The War of 1812

Beginning of the Conflict

            There are a lot of factors behind the War of 1812. I want to discuss what these political factors are and how they brought about the war that is sometimes forgotten but, very impactful on America. Years before the start of the war, America had finally gained its political freedom at the end of the Revolutionary War.  We were free from the British Empire, and as a young country we had to continuously prove and fight for our newfound nationality. Being a new country, the United States had goals of growing in two main ways. Firstly through international trade from overseas, and secondly through land expansion towards the west.

 The British were, at the time, in control of the Canadian territory. They also supplied the native Americans that lived in that area with weapons. The native Americans that lived further south in the western part of the continent were also supplied with weapons and support from Great Britain. Likewise Great Britain had the most powerful Navy in the world at the time. They were currently at war with Napoleon. Both of these factors probably greatly influenced the “the British policy of boarding American ships to press British (and sometimes American) seamen into service of the Royal Navy” (Wright, 2007). In fact President James Madison at the time “believed that the motive behind British policy had been to eliminate the United States as a Maritime trading rival” (cliffnotes.com).  Not only was this imposing on American pride “The British blockade of Napoleonic Europe… hurt American trade and the British had captured close to 400 ships” (Wright, 2007). It is evident that even though America had its freedom on land we did not have freedom at sea, it was hurting our growth and our people.      

            The United States was being opposed not only at sea. To the west the British support of the native Americans was greatly hampering our ability to grow west as a country. The natives were an obvious enemy to America because we wanted to expand into their territory. This brings up a conflict of interests between natives and America. It was extremely frustrating to the young U.S. that Britain was supplying the natives. From an Americans point of view we did have our freedom, but just barely because we were literally surrounded by British rule through the Royal Navy to the east and Britain enforced natives to the north and west. As a result “the ultimate objective was to conquer British North America and to break the power of their native enemies” (Wright, 2007). The British navy was much too powerful to attack, but maritime trade rights were definitely behind the objective as well.

            There were also more concentrated political reasons for going to war. “It has also been suggested that the political troubles of the American President, James Madison, influenced the decision to go to war. Madison was becoming unpopular for his failure to stand up to Britain and gain concessions. Faced with an election in late 1812, he decided to negotiate a settlement with the British and if that failed, to go to war” (Wright, 2007). The negotiations did not succeed and as a result, if not simply for his re-election, President Madison asked congress for war. “Madison’s recommendation to congress (was) to declare war over sailors rights and British support of western frontier tribes” (Henderson). This being their justification for the war, and “The complete annexation of Canada was the end in sight” (Wright, 2007). It is obvious that America needed this war in order to grow. America wanted the war and intentionally started the war. We can see how the desire for continuous growth and freedom on a world level were enough to drive a nation to fight with the most powerful force in the world. I think this could be said about many conflicts. We enter conflict for reasons based on personal growth and what we see as liberty or what we feel we deserve. The United States willingly started the conflict, and Britain reluctantly entered what they viewed as a side conflict in the middle of their great struggle with the French.

Competing Sides of the Conflict

            It has already been briefly addressed as to who was involved with the war of 1812. We can however look at the two sides through several lenses. To begin, it is obvious that essentially three nations or groups of people were involved. The British, United States, and the Native Americans. At the surface level it is three large groups of people all fighting for land, and against the threat of supremacy or upcoming power.

We can see how in the eyes of the Native Americans they might have had a few points of view. Firstly they needed to do whatever it took to stop this young nation from taking over their lands. With the help of Britain they probably had the hope of completely ending the country before it lived long, desiring to take back all of their land up to the east coast. At the same time, although they were happy to have the British helping them, there may have been some guarded fear of the British themselves eventually colonizing their lands abstract of the U.S. Either way, they are a major part of the conflict involved, and even though it is mostly an American/Britain struggle, it is the Natives that are more directly involved in a lot of ground battles.

            We should also look at the personal decision of President James Madison when considering who was at conflict with who. This goes down to a level of internal conflict; of Madison and those that would seek him out of office. He uses this war as an opportunity to fight back politically at people within the states that disagree with him. It was a struggle of Madison against the Federalists that wanted a presidential position. Some Federalists themselves opposed the war, but by going to war Madison gained the confidence of the majority which eventually put him back in office.

            We know that there were internal competing camps in the Americas regarding what has just been discussed between Americans and natives, and also Madison and his enemies. As mentioned before, we must assert that the overlying conflict was between Great Britain and The United States. Two nations against each other. Two navy’s, one navy is world renown and the other up and coming. Two sets of ground troops, one highly trained and the other no more than men with pitch forks. Lastly this is also Madison against the officiating powers of Great Britain.

Major Events of the War

            Looking at the War of 1812 from the standpoint of critical events or turning points that led up to the war, it is safe to assert that the condition of Britain and France greatly helped the decision process of the war and the events in the war. With those two nations at odds it greatly influenced the survival of America at the beginning of the war.

            Regarding the war itself it is important to note that America desired to control the Great Lakes region with their navy, while at the same time invading and conquering upper Canada. The Canadian goal however was never realized, as a result of continuous failed attempts to break their forces. Factors that led to the failed attempts were primarily a lack of training, and the unwise dispersion of troops instead of attacking a concentrated area. In 1813 generals James Wilkinson and Wade Hampton let troops of 8,000 and 4,000  men to take Montreal. This event is notable because Hampton and Wilkinson did not get along and were at odds. As a result they failed to apply the lesson previously learned that their forces should be concentrated. They attacked at separate intervals and both were defeated by relatively small forces. Along with this, throughout the war America suffered defeats at Detroit and Niagara several times. They did however manage to take control of the Great Lakes region through efficient use of their navy.

            Major political events during the war included  the burning of York in late April 1813. “The attack on York was launched for political propaganda reasons. The Governor of New York, Daniel Tompkins, was seeking re-election and felt he may loose because of voter dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in the war” (Wright, 2007). York was burned to the ground but it did not do a whole lot regarding the status of the war.

            As mentioned above the Niagara campaign  ended in 1814 with a loss at Cork’s Creek. With this loss, it ended America’s chances to have success in the northern regions. Also in 1814, Napoleon was finally defeated by the British which freed up thousands of troops to come fight the U.S. Near the end of the war, the British burned all the buildings in Washington, including the White house, in a sort of retaliation as to what happened in York. Some end of war events, that had impact, include the signing of the Treaty of Ghent “both sides were working to come to a resolution and agreed to discuss peace terms. A meeting in Belgium of American delegates and British commissioners ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814”(“Treaty of Ghent,” 1814). The Treaty of Ghent gave America what it wanted in regards to political world freedom. “Great Britain agreed to relinquish claims to the Northwest Territory, and both countries pledged to work toward ending the slave trade. America, in turn, gained influence as a foreign power”. (our documents) Even though this treaty was signed, it did not spread to armies in the south in time. As a result Andrew Jackson successfully engaged the British in New Orleans and won.

Affects of the War of 1812

            One of the most overlooked, yet dramatic, changes of the war had to do with the timing of the wars end. As I mentioned previously, the federalist party were very opposed to the war along with many citizens in New England. As a result on December 15, 1814 “ They proposed a series of constitutional amendments that would have severely limited the power of the national government” (cliffnotes.com). The only problem with this was that these amendments were presented right before the war was over. The people then viewed the propositions as “unpatriotic”. Had the amendments been presented at an earlier time however, the National government that we are familiar with today could have been much different. So the timely end of the war greatly impacted the denial of those amendments, and hence the power that the federal government has maintained ever since.

            When we consider the timing of the war there is another affect that we should highlight. As I mentioned previously, the fact that the war started in the middle of the French and Britain war most likely saved our country. If it had been done sooner or later it is possible that Britain would be the ruler over us today. We chose to go to war at the opportune moment, not only politically for James Madison but for the country as a whole. Madison not only preserved his presidency but also the presidential office. The political victory of the war had a great impact on our ability to expand west. Even though the British technically won the battle, the natives still had to live on the same soil as us. And they subsequently no longer received supplies from the British, which enabled the United States to slowly begin to take land away from the natives, eventually all the way to the west coast. The defeat of America in the sense that we were unable to conquer Canadian land can still be felt today, simply by the fact that we are a separate country from Canada. The Treaty that was signed at the end of the war solidified once again our independence as a Nation. The political impact that happened by us going to war sent a message to the rest of the world that the United States, even as young as we were, would always be willing to fight for what we deemed necessary. This mentality is still felt worldwide today. The war was a building block in the long timeline of events that have shaped our culture as an assertive world power.

            Had the United States not gone to war for the right to world trade and freedom at sea, it is likely that we would have been unable to grow at the rate that we did. The right to world trade and international borders that we sustained at the end of the war can be viewed as a great political victory in the history of American wars. Even though the war itself was seen as a failure by some from a military point of view. The war did impact the way that we fought battles from then on out. Our battlefield failures in the War of 1812 led to future day successes. Overall, the War of 1812 has had a lasting impact on the growth of this country and the preservation of our world rights. It should also be mentioned that our National Anthem is a product of one of the successful battle stories in the war.

            To conclude, I assert that political reasons, based on money, expansion, and personal gain are the prime reasons for this war. I would assume that I might find this true about many of the wars that America has fought over the years. The conflict of ideologies and goals has everything to do with wars. This is a lesson that I am happy and grateful to have learned during the process of research.

Works Cited

Cliffnotes.com. War of 1812. 15 June 2012 <http://m.cliffnotes.com/study_guide/topicAticleId-25073,article-25032.html

Henderson, R. (n.d.). Causes and events of the war of 1812: A timeline. Retrieved from http://www.warof1812.ca/1812events.htm

United States Government, International Treaties and Related Records. (1814). Treaty of Ghent (Record Group 11). Retrieved form http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=20

Wright, A. (2007, May 28). A military history of the war of 1812. Retrieved from http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/19thcentury/articles/militaryhistoryofwarof1812.aspx

Narrative Artifact Essay

'Cats in the Cradle' By Harry Chapin

I decided to do my essay on my last and final artifact. It is my narrative artifact and I chose to talk about a song by Harry Chapin called Cats in the Cradle. This song has had a tremendous impact on my life. It has impacted me so much that it is almost humorous. A song shouldn't be able to affect someone as much as this song has affected me. For this reason I wish to explain how this song and its rhetoric have been successful in impacting me and my actions. The methods used are very powerful. I wish to explain what these methods are and how they can be used to impact anyone as long as the right ingredients are in place. I will expound on the idea that pathos combined with values that a person already holds, is a very powerful combination that can be used to possibly change peoples actions hopefully for the better.

The Song

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

I need to give a brief history before I continue. Growing up I was very close to my family especially close to my dad. I always valued family relationships as being paramount in life. As I got older and entered high school I spent less and less time at home and it seemed like I was always gone with friends. But inside I was still very close to my dad. He would often invite me to do things with him and I never made time to spend time with him like I did as a young kid. Well needless to say, I heard this song while driving in the car or something and it changed my life. The song starts out with a dad singing about when his boy was born, the dad was very busy though, and wasn't around much. But his little boy loved his dad and always said "I'm gonna be like you dad, you know I'm gonna be like you".  It continues talking about how the dad was always away when his son wanted to be with him, although the son still loved his dad and wanted to be like him. The chorus of the song says "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man on the moon. When you comin' home dad? I dont know when. But you know we'll have a good time then.". The lyrics "cats in the cradle and the silver spoon" etc. Are all symbols of the boy being young. Back in the day children played with silver spoons as a baby and they were still young enough to think there was a man on the moon. It was back when the cat would jump in the cradle with the kid. The chorus is about a young boy. The chorus stays the same as the song evolves and eventually the boy is all grown up with his own family. Well the dad on the other hand isn't as busy anymore and wants to spend that quality time with his son. The son is too busy now and the chorus sings "When you comin' home son? I don't know when, but we'll get together then. You know we'll have a good time then." Finally the dad realizes what has happened when it is too late and he says "As I hung up the phone it occurred to me, He'd grown up just like me My boy was just like me." As I heard this song I started getting emotional and I realized I was becoming the young dad and the older son. I was too busy for my dad. The song was so sad to me that I vowed this wasnt going to be me with my dad. Or me with my son.

The context of the song is definitely social and cultural. In my culture the song hit home to my values.  In my analysis it is important to point out that playing to a persons culture can have a big sway. This song may not have meant much to someone who wasn't raised in a strong family culture.

Semiotics of Cats in the Cradle 

The lens through which I analyze this is the semiotic lens. The whole song is symbolism to me. There is power in the symbolism of the chorus, namely the silver spoon, man on the moon, cradle. It is elements like this that remind us of a young little boy who needs his dad. And throughout that song the little boy appears in the dad at the end. Because he needs his son. There is a larger symbol with this song though. The song itself is a symbol of me. I underline that because as I did this analysis I realized that is why the song affected me so much.

Symbols, Pathos, Values

My findings on what has made this rhetoric so persuasive is wonderful knowledge that I am glad to have gathered. There are three primary ingredients that this rhetoric includes which made it so good. The first as I briefly mentioned is the semiotics of the song. As I heard the song and it pertained to me so much that I thought of it as a symbol of my younger self I completely swallowed the message that the song embodies. Namely, spend time with your loved ones and make them your number one priority while you have the chance. So I think there is much power when rhetoric is so similar to a person that they think of the lyrics, words, or whatever as describing them. This leads into the values. Obviously a person would prefer to be an embodiment of his or her own values. Subsequently if you make the rhetoric a reflection of someone's values, they just may do as I did and think the whole thing is a symbol of themself. I now feel like playing to the values of the audience can only be a plus if you are trying to come up with persuasive rhetoric. So it's great that this rhetoric of cats in the cradle was a symbol and a value verification. However the thing that really gets me is how sad the song is. I have a soft spot in my heart for my youngest years of life before age ten. When the chorus of the song was pretty much about anyone under the age of ten it really got to me. It brought back sweet thoughts of the young, almost forgotten years. And then the body of the song explaining the lack of a relationship between two people that clearly loved each other, it was bitter sweet to hear the song. Now with this said I think the pathos of this song is what makes it so powerful. I was already caught on the symbolism and values, but when they made the song emotional it pushed me over the edge. In a good way of course. It made me become more convicted to spend some good quality time with my dad. I saw the song as a symbol of self. But then I wanted to be completely different than the story of the song. The pathos in the song makes the glue of conviction that remains after the song is over.

The New Me

Well when all is said and done, this song changed my life for the better. Till this day many years after high school when I hear this song it still hits that cord. Thankfully I have spent a lot of quality time with my dad. I still get emotional but I dont get that feeling of guilt anymore! I think by picking apart this song I learned some great stuff about how to make persuasive rhetoric. Make sure you play to values and emotions. And symbols that apply to the audience are extremely beneficial. I think these can improve our life by better eqipping us with communication skills needed to achieve our goals with other people. These tactics found in this rhetoric will help us. I hope you find something useful in this song as I have.



Metaphor Artifact #2

"Life is a Piano" is something I found on MotivationalTwist.com but I had to change it to metaphor form. The tenor being explained is life. And the vehicle that is used to explain life is the piano. This metaphor is awesome because it is how I feel about life. I make a concious effort to find the good when obstacles come. This shows how wonderful the the obstacles in life can be.

Life is a Piano

The white keys are happiness, the black keys are sadness.

Just remember the black keys make music too.

Metaphor Artifact: Mr. Grinch Song

This song doesnt have a lot of personal meaning to me other than I grew up hearing it every Christmas. I chose it because it is funny and reminds me of Christmas as a kid. The whole song is metaphors describing how bad Mr. Grinch is. So Mr. Grinch is the Tenor, or the person being explained or described. And the Vehicle that is being used to describe him is a long list of revolting type objects, plants and animals. Most of the vehicles used are commonplaces that we are familiar with. I like the "bad banana with a greasy black peel!" because if you look into it you realize that maybe Mr. Grich hasnt always been so bad. After all bananas dont start out bad with a black peel. Any way with each metaphor we learn more and more about how bad Mr. Grinch is. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

You’re a mean one Mr. GrinchYou really are a heel.
You're as cuddly as a cactus,
And as charming as an eel,
Mr. Grinch!
You're a bad banana,
With a greasy black peel!
You're a monster, Mr. Grinch!
Your heart's an empty hole.
Your brain is full of spiders.
You've got garlic in your soul,
Mr. Grinch!
I wouldn't touch you
With a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch!
You have termites in your smile.
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile,
Mr. Grinch!
Given the choice between the two of you,
I'd take the seasick crocodile!
You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch!
You're a nasty, wasty skunk!
Your heart is full of unwashed socks.
Your soul is full of gunk,
Mr. Grinch!
The three words that best describe you
Are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk!"
You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch!
You're the king of sinful sots!
Your heart's a dead tomato,
Splotched with moldy, purple spots,
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an apalling dump-heap,
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable,
Mangled-up in tangled-up knots!
You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch!
With a nauseous super naus!
You're a crooked jerky jockey,
And you drive a crooked hoss,
Mr. Grinch!
You're a three-decker sauerkraut
and toadstool sandwich,
With arsenic sauce!

Ideological Atrifact: The Jumpman

The Jumpman logo has a lot of background meaning to me. When I was younger my dad and I used to watch old Michael Jordan games that he had recorded. Because of that, I grew up being a Michael Jordan fan. Whenever I see the jumpman logo I remember my dad. It also is a symbol of superiority, because Michael Jordan was the best. I am a big basketball fan and whenever I wear apparel that has the jumpan on it, it is a representation of my basketball hobby. Overall the jumpman represents my dad, my past and current love of basketball. And it is a symbol of an elite work ethic put forth by Michael Jordan that I try to mirror in things that I am compassionate about.

 I chose a speech by President Obama as my Neo-Aristotelian aritfact because I have always been fascinated by his ability to connect with the audience, he has an ability to resonate with me. So I thought it would be fun to pick this artifact and see how he does what he does. It has always intrigued me how he makes things that I dont agree with sound so appealing. I think he's a great public speaker.

Neo-Aristotelian artifact : President Obama speech

President Obama
AP Annual Luncheon
Washington, DC
April 14, 2008
Neo-Aristotelian artifact : President Obama speech