The War of 1812

The young United States and the superpower Great Britain went to war in 1812 for many reasons. Americans were angry with the British for interfering with their seaborne trade, and for supporting Native Americans on the frontier to prevent westward expansion. The war was fought on the oceans all over the globe, as well as in the British province of Canada and in American ports like Baltimore and New Orleans. This book in the MAJOR U.S. HISTORICAL WARS series examines the events that led up to the War of 1812. It discusses the political and military strategies that American and British leaders employed, and provides information about key people, battles, and events. The Americans' success in what has been called the "second war for independence" ensured that the U.S. would remain a free nation, and that it would play the leading role in North American and Caribbean affairs for the remainder of the 19th century.