The War of 1812: America's Second War of Independence

"Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light…" Although these words from The Star Spangled Banner are familiar to nearly every American, the war that gave rise to them is often times forgotten. This song came from the War of 1812, which is sometimes referred to as the Second War of Independence. It is one of the overlooked wars in United States history, often lost in American's memory, overshadowed by its bookends—the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Altogether, this war, which lasted for just about two years, basically ended in a stalemate as a result of the Treaty of Ghent. In fact, many have argued that U.S. actually lost, or at the very least gained nothing out of the war, and that it was pointless. However, this is not true, as the War of 1812 was a war over America's struggle to maintain independence from Great Britain and confirm its legitimacy as a nation. After the Revolutionary War, the British did not treat the U.S. as an independent, sovereign nation and demonstrated antagonistic practices both at sea and at home. The offences committed against the United States, including; attempts to restrict maritime trade, the impressment of American seamen, and the support of Native American resistance to western expansion, were major provocations for declaring war against Great Britain. It became necessary for the United States to once again uphold the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence and revolt against unfair British practices. This resulted in a war that had significant long-term impacts and affirmed America's independence, leading many to call it the "Second War for Independence."

In June of 1812, President James Madison and the United States Congress declared war on Great Britain. During the war, which became known as the War of 1812, both countries won several important battles; however, in the end the United States suffered great losses at the hands of the British, Canadian, and Native American troops. There were a few American victories at sea early on, but in the end, the U.S. Navy was no match for the Royal Navy, as the Royal Navy was successful in blockading many American ports and thus causing economic hardships. At the beginning of the war, Britain's military efforts were focused on France and the Napoleonic Wars; however, after their victory over France in 1814, they were able to send in more troops and thus began to fight Americans more aggressively. One of the biggest British attacks was on Washington, D.C. in August of 1814 and resulted in the White House getting burnt to the ground. On the other hand, the U.S. did prove victorious in a few battles, including the Battle of Baltimore in 1814 and the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. During the Battle of Baltimore, Francis Scott Key watched the British attack on Fort McHenry as a prisoner aboard a British ship. He couldn't believe that the fort's flag was still flying at the end