The War of 1812: Forgotten War

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THE PRECONCEIVED LEGACY OF THE WAR OF 1812 Sumbul Vallani 100887480 Oct. 26th, 2012 TA: Sinead Cox Time: 4:00pm HIST 1300-A Professor Bruce S. Elliott James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages once said, “The War of 1812 is a decisive event in our country’s history”. However, some of the achievements and failures of these intertwined battles are not significant to all its participants. In general, it is seen as the “forgotten war” among its key players, the U.S. and Britain specifically. In Canada, the war is still detected in history, but not with a lot of detail on our nation’s accomplishments; it is more focused on our loyalty to the British and how closely Canada was allied. It is odd, since in modern society, both the British and Americans commonly fail to acknowledge the great struggles conquered throughout the war. To Canadians, most of the history is inadequate recognizing the American perspective, weighing heavily on the British viewpoint.. For instance, there is often reference to the Loyalists or the Laura Secord incident when Upper Canada existed. A lack of shining lights on all perspectives causes our nation to have some partial opinions about the war’s overall gist. The Canadian War Museum’s 1812 exhibit provides insight on the British, American, Canadian, and Native American perspectives of the war, mainly focusing on what was gained and what was lost. “35,000 American, British, Canadian, and Native American men, women, and children were killed in action from the war or died from other causes” said writer, Donald R. Hickey. Francis Scott Key, American lawyer, wrote the Star-Spangled Banner after witnessing an attack of the British Royal Navy; it plays a large role in the lives of Americans now. The Native Americans struggle and desperate fight for freedom and independence shows us why territorial claims

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