A few years back, I got into a disagreement with a Canadian friend over
who won the War of 1812; America or Canada/Britain? I had been taught through the American public
school system that we had won. My friend
had been taught in his native land that Canada had won. Who was right? Turns out, we both were.
Two hundred years ago, and as recently as World War II, wars were
declared in accordance with the U.S. Constitution, specifically, through a
formal declaration from Congress. This
was done for several important reasons.
The first was that an approval from Congress signified that a war had
the nation’s approval, namely the people and states they represented. Second, wars are to be formally declared by
Congress so that clear objectives could be established. Once those objectives were met, the war would
end. Let me repeat that. Once objectives set by Congress were met, the
war would end.
There were several but two main objectives the United States sought to
accomplish by starting war with the British Empire in 1812. The first was to stop the British Royal Navy
from pressing American seamen into their service. Basically, the British were kidnapping our citizens. Second, the United States wanted to put a
stop to the British and Canadian practice of inciting Native American attacks
against American pioneers on our nation’s western borders. Today, we would likely call this “terrorism,”
but the British and French use of Native Americans in this manner was a common
practice by 1812.
The Canadians had their own objective, too, as my friend pointed out;
prevent the Americans from taking over their country! By 1814 the British had stopped kidnapping
U.S. sailors and coaxing Native American attacks against Americans. The Canadians had also successfully prevented
the United States from taking over Canada.
With objectives met by both belligerents, the war ended. The war lasted only two years! Imagine that, if you can.
The U.S. started the War of 1812 two hundred years ago this month. At least President Madison went to war
legally through a declaration of war from Congress, a forgotten practice for
our now Constitutionally ignorant and indifferent nation.
