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The war of 1812 took place in America and Canada. The Americans fought with the British and natives of the land. When the US and congress declared war on Great Britain, they may not have realized that their success seemed to be doomed to begin with. There was strong lack of support from American citizens to go to war, this was because of several reasons. Divided forces from different states caused problems and didn’t want to cooperate or complete certain tasks. Ports were not being allowed for war usage because citizens didn’t feel the need to go to war.
There was a huge national debt to pay off from the previous war with Britain, and finally because of political differences. This all ties in with he lack of support from citizens not wanting to go to war. Another reason why it seemed they may have been doomed was because of the advantages Britain had. Britain recently had defeated Napoleon by combining forces with Russia and other countries, and momentum in war seemed to be going their way. Also, by ending the Napoleon era, Britain had the full amount of troops to send to America.
These British troops were also experienced in fighting against Napoleon, and the American militia would most likely be an easy feat. The British were also the worlds largest world empire with a rather large treasury. Americas navy at the time was in very bad condition and consisted of only 7 seaworthy ships versus the British 1048 warships. Last but not least, the Americans were just not prepared to fight the war. Their force consisted of only 7,000 soldiers, their military supplies were very low and they couldn’t purchase any due to being in debt.
Inexperienced leaders caused for poor management of troops on the battlefield, and the average soldier was not prepared for the hardships of war, and without training, they were not as good as the experienced redcoats. 1. Lack of Support from American citizens to go to war. A??? Divided army forces ( N. Y Force didn’t invade Canada. ) Having divided forces caused for lack of cooperation which leads to several problems. B??? Ports not being allowed for use.
Failure to store ships and guns, or have soldiers shipped through ports is an issue because of various reasons. C??? Political differences (Liberals wanted war, federalists did not. ) Split views on support of the war would decide if forces would be used or not. D-Huge national debt. Previous war with the British caused for a lot of debt. 2. The British had great advantages going into the war. A??? Experienced British soldiers from the Napoleonic wars. Having experienced soldiers greatly helps the success of skirmishes on the battlefield.
B???Largest navy fleet in the world. Having the largest fleet allowed the British to blockade ports and rivers, efficiently cutting off trade. This caused problems for the Americans during the war. C???The British command was consisted of experienced leaders. Having experienced leaders allows for better strategic positioning of cannon and soldiers or even ships on the battlefield, ultimately being as efficient as possible to win in a battle. 3??? Ultimately, the Americans were unprepared to fight a war. A??? Force consisted of 7,000 men.
Not only did they have poor quality soldiers, they also had very few of them, so hopes were not looking too good at the start of this war. B??? Navy was made up of 17 warships. Not being able to fight the British on water would prove to be very costly, ultimately cutting off all trade from ports and harbors. C??? The British were able to send their full force from the Napoleonic wars to America. Being outnumbered and outskilled would prove to be a problem because you can’t win against a more experienced army unless you are lucky on the battlefield.
D??? Munitions were very low and debt was high. Having no weapons for your soldiers to combat with is bad. Not being able to purchase weapons because of national debt is even worse. Why Parliament and congress decided to go to war with the British is very confusing. They should have known that their army consisted of only 7,000 troops and that they were very low on munitions and supplies. Also, they knew that the navy had no more then 17 war able ships, so going against the largest navy in the world at the time seemed almost suicidal.