Existing comment:
Postwar Times:
War of 1812: A Nation Forged by War:
Peace negotiations began in the Netherlands in late 1814. Aided by the American victories at Plattsburgh and Baltimore, US diplomats signed the Treaty of Ghent, which dictated a return to the status quo ante bellum, the state before the war.
Fighting the world's leading empire to a draw brought international acclaim to the United States, especially to the Navy. Congress voted to expand the Navy shortly after the peace, to ensure future national security.
Moreover, the War of 1812 gave Americans a sense of destiny; that the United States and its unique freedoms were meant not only to endure but to shine before the whole world.
"... in a short time the nation became a young Hercules in their eyes."
-- Reverend George Jones, Sketches of Naval Life, 1829 |