The war of 1812 has become a footnote, an odd and somewhat clumsy war that is sandwiched between the American Revolution and the civil war. To the people who experienced it, though, there was nothing small about it. It was a war that put the confidence of a young nation to test, its weaknesses on display and it had to determine what actually independence meant beyond paper proclamations.

The war in its essence was a culmination of conflict between the United States and Great Britain that remained engaged in an enormous conflict with the Napoleonic France. The American ships were in the middle. British ships would regularly intercept ships and kidnap sailors, accusing them of being Royal Navy deserters. This was an insult to the sovereignty of Americans. Meanwhile, as the American merchants were having a hard time going about their business due to trade restrictions, it was a source of economic frustration and fueled the fire.

Many Americans also had a strong feeling that the expansion was not only necessary, but it was also right. The border moved constantly to the west, usually on the territory of Native American tribes. Other American leaders thought that British aid to Native resistance was getting in the path of that expansion. To Native communities, though, things were completely different. The war turned out to be a plea bargain to protect the territory, independence, and lifestyles, which were already being threatened way before the first bullet was shot.

The battle erupted on several fronts, each one with its issues. In the north, the conflict along the Great Lakes was decisive. Waterway control equated to movement control, supply lines and communication. They were not large-scale conflicts by European standards, however, they were fierce and unpredictable. Weather, terrain, and the indifferent leadership were often more important than tactics.

The British navy was powerful to blockade the ports and raid along the Atlantic coast. Suddenly, American coastal towns were attacked, which came to disrupt normal existence and trade. Although the young American navy was out-matched at sea, it was able to secure some unexpected victories. These scenes were used as an icon of persistence and how a little strength and ability could at times be more important than brute force and size.

On the ground, the war tended to reveal the level of unpreparation the United States still had. The soldiers were a combination of militia groups and regular soldiers most of whom were not well trained and lacked coordination. There was a lack of continuity in supplies, and schemes failed to stick together. But there was a dogged resistance also that bore the forces through disappointments. People were able to learn and adapt to the circumstances and continue even when the conditions were not ideal.

By the time the Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814, the situation was restored to a great extent as it had been prior to the war. There were not any significant changes in the territory and a lot of the problems which had been initially left remained. Nevertheless, the war was not just the treaty. To Americans, it turned out to be a survival and identity story. The notion, that the country had risen against a world power and survived, assisted in consolidating a sense of unity that was growing.

The war persisted in the memory and narrative of the years that followed. Veterans told their stories, authors created accounts of valor and struggle and politicians used the war as evidence that the nation could protect itself. The war of 1812 might not have resulted in any obvious victories, but it contributed to the way Americans came to understand how they fit in the world and their capacity to possess it.