War of 1812

"The War of 1812 was fought between the U.S. and Great Britain from 1812-14, though some fighting continued after the Treaty of Ghent was signed in December of 1814. Most of the fighting took place along the Canadian border, in Chesapeake Bay, and along the Gulf of Mexico. After the American Revolution, the U.S. was anxious for the British to withdraw from American territory and their unwillingness to sign trade agreements with the U.S. The British were keeping the U.S. from trade with themselves and with France, with whom they were battling (French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars). They captured U.S. ships and took hostages and goods and, by 1812, the British had blockaded America's coasts, ruining American trade and finances. So, the U.S. attacked the British colony of Canada. There was fighting on land and at sea - and though the Americans were not prepared at first, they started to gain power. There was strong opposition to the war from its citizens. In 1814, Britain defeated Napoleon and France. They could easily have turned all their force against the U.S., but they were tired of war. They signed the Treaty of Ghent (Belgium) in December, in which neither side gained anything, but the war ended. The War of 1812 marked the first time the U.S. got involved in foreign affairs and it was the beginning of its movement to becoming a world power."