Introduction
The War of 1812 was a critical historic moment for both the United States and the United Kingdom. The selected image is The Battle of New Orleans by Percy Moran, where the seventh American president, Andrew Jackson, is depicted in front of the American flag. His leadership during the War of 1812 played a major role in protecting newly gained independence from colonial England. The main argument is manifested in the fact that acquiring freedom is not enough, because one must also fight to preserve it.
Description
The given painting’s central figure is Andrew Jackson, who stands with his sword raised during the battle of New Orleans, and it can be seen in figure 1. The image contains an American flag, which signifies the elevated level of patriotism and freedom gained during the War for Independence. It was a pivotal moment for newly emerged America because the nation needed to stand its ground to defend its liberty against its old enemy. In addition, the painting shows a number of soldiers clashing in the midst of battle. It is highly important to note that American troops are located on the high ground, which means that they are on the side of righteousness. It seems that Percy Moran tried to show the overall bravery of Andrew Jackson and the moral elevation of the American side.
Historical Background
The Anglo-American War of 1812–1815 – This is one of the military conflicts that were part of the phenomenon of the Napoleonic Wars. From the time of the American War of Independence to the outbreak of hostilities, several unresolved issues arose between the United States and Great Britain. These include the neutral position of the United States in the European conflict with Napoleon, which was violated by the English Orders in the Council and the French Decrees restricting the foreign trade of the republic. This also includes the practice of impressments or capture of sailors formerly subjects of the British crown and the adoption by the US side of the embargo law.
A rather complex set of contradictions between the former colony and the mother country is also interesting because it developed over time, evolving to the start of hostilities. The arguments for starting the war with Great Britain were the desire to resume trade, stop the recruitment of sailors, unite and rally the people, revive national pride, and conquer Canada (Kert 27). Opponents of the war operated on the fact that not all Americans wanted and were ready to fight, the United States did not have sufficient military power, England, on the contrary, was a major naval superpower, the United States could not only gain but also lose territory.
The attitude of the British towards the USA during 1810-1812 was not aggressive. At that time, the cabinet under the leadership did not want a war with the former colonies. European problems completely absorbed all the attention of British diplomacy, and another focus of the conflict was completely inappropriate. Moreover, at this moment, the attitude of British diplomatic circles towards the United States can be described as too passive. After the resignation of significant persons from the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, the followers of the old policy continued to generally pursue a wait-and-see strategy towards America.
On the other hand, the British fleet continued to take over this entire time, thereby not only not helping diplomats, but also provoking sentiments in the US that could be described as anti-British bitterness. However, it cannot be said that the British were not interested in resolving the contradictions with the United States. Thus, on April 21, 1812, Prince Regent George issued a proclamation (Skeen 31). It said that if the French Decrees were repealed by a publicly announced act of the French government, Orders in the Council in relation to the United States would also be canceled (Skeen 87).
The campaign against Orders was launched in the British Parliament and in the press, the participants of which considered the preservation of this measure inappropriate in the context of the economic crisis. Indeed, the crisis situation within Britain made any economic restrictions detrimental to the state. Recognizing, on the one hand, the patriotic impulses of Canadians, on the other hand, it should be noted that most newspapers served the British government as a means of communication with the colony, broadcasting to it decisions that were made in the metropolis. Therefore, the British army was often praised for the courage of troops and military leaders, and Britain as a whole for its strength and cohesion of the nation.
Canadians should have been proud that they were British subjects, which was constantly emphasized. Quite a lot of effort and time was spent in order to portray the enemy in a negative light. This can be considered the official policy of London to discredit the enemy. The demonization of the Americans in the press helped motivate the population to meet the despicable enemy in arms. At a time when it was impossible to criticize the military art of the Americans, and the British did not have big victories, they had to come up with new goals. Therefore, the editors began to consider and ridicule the American character – their alleged arrogance, stupidity, or their behavior during the war.
In addition, many Americans were outraged by the forced recruitment of their compatriots. In addition, the US merchant shipping was pursued, their cargo was seized. England demanded a license for ships bound for Europe, while France also confiscated shipments from licensed ships. The situation worsened and was destabilized by the Embargo Act, introduced by the US government in 1807, which stopped trade first with all of Europe, and then only with France and England (Hammack 78).
This law greatly undermined the US economy but had almost no effect on the state of affairs in Europe. The Americans had other reasons for not liking Britain because, before the Revolutionary War, the British built fortresses in the west of the Appalachian Mountains. When the Americans declared independence, the British promised to withdraw troops from there and leave the fortifications. However, by 1812, 29 years after the signing of the Paris Peace, the British still tried to maintain their outposts, which did not allow the settlers to advance to the West (Kert 63). They also defended Native Americans living in the territories claimed by the US population.
The Indians were unhappy that the whites wanted to seize their territories, so they went towards the British. The Republican administration on the eve of the war reduced the size of the army despite the fact that British forces exceeded them even before that. The US budget was not designed to finance the upcoming war. The government closed the national bank, and there were no internal taxes as well as income from import duties decreased (Buel 45).
I had to fight on credit, although the Republicans tried, as far as possible, to refrain from debt. American society was split into those who advocated war, and those who were categorically against it. Among the former was the majority of the population of the Southwest, among the latter, were New York and New England. The leaders of the supporters of the war with Britain were Henry Clay from Kentucky and Andrew Jackson from Tennessee. Opponents were sea merchants who did not want to undermine their activities.
Significance
The subject is important to me due to the fact that it was a critical moment when Americans needed to demonstrate that they are willing to fight intruders despite the lack of resources and military power. It is also significant because The War of 1812 can be considered as a major part of the Napoleonic Wars, and thus, American was partially involved in European affairs. This type of approach from an American side was made in order to solidify its position as a separate and independent nation, which was no longer living in the shadow of its colonial past. The given war an outstanding illustration of American willingness to defend and fight for its liberty and freedom.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the War of 1812 was a crucial point in American history due to major changes of independence the United States evolved from an oppressed nation of equal power and influence that can match the strength of the United Kingdom. Percy Moran’s painting is an excellent illustration of this message, where Americans are depicted as brave and courageous people, who do not easily give up their values and moral high ground. In addition, the event signified the fact that the United States is no longer an isolationist nation, and it is willing to become a key player in the global political and military arena.
Works Cited
Buel, Richard. America on the Brink: How the Political Struggle Over the War of 1812 Almost Destroyed the Young Republic. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2015.
Hammack, James W. Kentucky and the Second American Revolution: The War of 1812. University Press of Kentucky, 2015.
Kert, Faye. Prize and Prejudice: Privateering and Naval Prize in Atlantic Canada in the War of 1812. Liverpool University Press, 2017.
Moran, Percy E. The Battle of New Orleans. 1910. New Orleans, United States. New Orleans Museum of Art. Web.
Skeen, Edward C. Citizen Soldiers in the War of 1812. The University Press of Kentucky, 2015.