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Who Won the War of 1812?
In both the British Parliament and the Foreign Office, many influential MPs and diplomats were still smarting from the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in 1783. They viewed the United States as a rebellious child that had run amok and needed to be taught a lesson. Eventually, English politicians thought the U.S. would come to its senses and rejoin the Empire. As a result, the British Parliament passed laws knowing they would anger U.S. citizens. Yet, despite the animosity caused by the British Parliament’s high-handed actions, the United Kingdom remained the U.S.’s largest trading partner.
Read MoreDoomed to Failure and Disgrace
Madison and his secretary of war, William Eustis, now had a war on their hands. When they took office, they inherited an Army and Navy that had been horribly underfunded since the end of the war against the Barbary Pirates in 1805.
Read MoreThe Navy’s Unpreparedness for War in 1812
When James Madison asked for a declaration of war in June 1812, the U.S. Navy only had 14 ships capable of operating outside coastal waters. Once again, the U.S. Navy would face the well-trained and equipped battle-tested Royal Navy.
Read MoreFirst Bank of the United States
Hamilton was convinced that unless the U.S. got its monetary house in order, it would fail as a country. Goal one was to bring financial order to the U.S. economy. After the War for Independence ended, each state was chartering banks, and there were no standardized rules for their charters, reserves, or how they operated. Hamilton wanted the Federal bank at the top of the financial pyramid with the state banks one level down.
Read MoreThe Circle “C”
The copyright issue was so significant by 1783, each state except Delaware, had its own copyright laws. The central government under the Articles of Confederation had no power to regulate copyrights or the protection of IP. In fact, most states simply took the Statue of Anne and adapted it to their own purposes. This led to a crazy quilt set of copyright laws that differed depending on what state on resided.
Read MoreOpposition to Mr. Madison’s War
While not named in the 1807 Orders in Council, the U.S. was the target since we insisted on trading with whatever country we chose. The order required any ship headed for a port in a country controlled by France to stop at an English port to be checked for military supplies. Those that did not could be seized by the Royal Navy, and the ship and cargo sold in an Admiralty Court.
Read MoreAmerica’s Second Struggle for Liberty
Rather than confront the British and demand they stop impressing American citizens, Jefferson encouraged the Democratic-Republicans who controlled both houses in Congress to enact a series of measures that restricted trade with European nations that were at war. These were not popular and actually caused the U.S. economy to contract.
Read MoreFailure To Lead
For the attack on Fort George, Saltonstall was on the small frigate Monmouth, 24 guns. The force caught the British by surprise, and there were only three small sloops of war in the bay which should have been quickly captured by the Continentals. They weren’t.
Read MoreThe American Revolution Starts Another Trend
In the 18th Century, women second-class citizens, and few, other than those from wealthy families, went to school. There they learned to read and write and do what was then known as “sums,” i.e., add and subtract.
Read MoreStart of a Trans-Atlantic Migration
So, again going back to U.S. Census data, the first census tallies the population at 3,929,214 in 1790, seven years after the American Revolution ended, the population of the new country grew by 1.7 million people. From that point on, the U.S. population grew by more than 30% every 10 years.
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