The War of 1812 and American military weakness and reform

¶ … War of 1812. There are six references used for this paper.

There have been a number of battles fought by the United States over the years. It is important to examine the War of 1812 and determine the major weaknesses in the United States National structure, and how these weaknesses were later addressed by the Republican Nationalists.

British Occupation

The United States Government's weaknesses became in apparent when "following the Revolutionary war, the British refused to leave their posts in an effort to preserve both the flourishing fur trade and the improving relations with the Native American, (www.graves.k12.ky.us/schools/GCHS/bleonard/unit%20three%20study%2.)."

The British occupation led to the War of 1812, however the country was divided on whether to fight the war or not. "The declaration of war had been made with military preparations still far from complete. There were fewer than 7,000 regular soldiers, distributed in widely scattered posts along the coast, near the Canadian border and in the remote interior. These soldiers were to be supported by the undisciplined militia of the states (www.usemb.se/usis/history/chapter4.html)." The lack of militia skill was evident when an invasion of Canada failed, resulting in Detroit being taken by the British. The failures of the militia were soon replaced with victories by U.S. Navy, restoring the confidence of the troops, and eventually resulting in Detroit being recaptured by the United States.

Rectifying the Weaknesses

The War of 1812 "persuaded the national government to turn decisively toward dependence on a professional army (Lears)." The "humiliating and tragic lesson aroused public opinion to demand strong measures for protection (Lattimore)."

After the War of 1812, Secretary of War John C. Calhoun created the office of commanding general in an "effort to bring greater centralization and professionalization to the management of the U.S. Army (Rafuse)."

When the war with Britain ended in 1814 with the Treaty of Ghent, Congress was instructed by President Madison to "appropriate funds to complete all forts then under construction and to extend the system of fortifications in order that the United States might at all times be prepared to prevent or repel the danger of foreign invasion (Lattimore)."

The duty of "developing entirely new and adequate fortifications along the far-flung Atlantic and Gulf coasts was one which required the direction of a military expert with special engineering abilities (Lattimore)." General Simon Bernard, a Frenchman who had served with Napoleon, was chosen for this position due to his impressive reputation as a military engineer. President Madison commissioned Bernard upon Congress's consent "in the Corps of Engineers with the rank of brigadier general by brevet. Early in December 1816, by direct order of the President, General Bernard, Col. William McRee, and Col. Joseph G. Totten formed a new 'Board of Engineers,' the duties of which were to devise a system of seacoast defense for the entire country (Lattimore)."

The Republicans addressed the problem of competition between parties after the War of 1812 during the period known as "the 'Era of Good Feelings.' President Monroe was a leading defender of the anti-party principle, as least in a purely republican government like that of the United States. While allowing that in a constitutional monarchy like England parties might legitimately attach themselves to either the king or the people, Monroe insisted that in the United States 'there is but one order, that of the people,' whose sovereignty is assured, thus leaving no need for partisan divisions (Plattner)."

Conclusion

The War of 1812 illustrated a number of weaknesses in the United States National structure, such as a weak military force, division of the country concerning the war effort, and strong competition between political parties. After the war, these weaknesses were addressed, and the country continued to thrive under the Republican Nationalists.