During the War of 1812, the United States engaged in an armed conflict with Britain to secure its trade routes with France. However, it took until 1815 to come to a stalemate with the empire and have its demands satisfied. The reasons were both that the American people were divided, with some taking the side of the British, and that the European sovereign had superior resources at its disposal, even if much of them were occupied battling Napoleon. As a result, each side attained some successes and suffered failures, with the United States losing the Siege of Detroit but later winning the Battles of Lake Erie and Thames. Eventually, with Napoleon defeated, the blockade of France was lifted while that of the U.S. was strengthened, removing one of the war’s principal causes and leading to a peace treaty in 1815.
The United States saw the war as a reprisal of the Independence War, one in which the nation was able to match its foreign sovereign. Public sentiment escalated the perception into that of a decisive victory over the European country, with the tale of Fort McHenry inspiring “The Star-Spangled Banner.” As a result, nationalistic sentiment surged in the U.S., and the army, especially the Navy, was able to improve its reputation and gain in popularity substantially. Moreover, Britain lost its influence over northwestern Indians, and the results of the Creek War enabled expansion into the south, as well. Partly due to the war, the annexation of Texas by the United States became possible later on. Lastly, using the methods established in Ghent, the two nations created a healthy and friendly relationship that resolved disagreements via arbitration rather than war.