Harry

Bargaining ploys are only needed if the two sides are relatively equal and that was far from the situation at Ghent. The military situation was overwhelmingly in favor of Britain and British officials understood that. The negotiations could have started a month earlier, but the British delayed sending their delegates to allow troops to get to North America to help obtain the treaty terms they wanted. The Liverpool government expected a very different treaty than what they got. Of course, the US government also failed to obtain what they wanted.

betgo

The main reason it is claimed that the war was a draw was the status quo ante bellum treaty. The British probably could have gotten close to their original demands. However, they wanted the war over as they were concerned about some sort of trouble in Europe. This actually occurred with Napoleon's 100 days, and the British needed the soldiers.

Reconquering the US would not have been practical. The loss of both commanders, Ross and Peckenham, is an indication of the difficulties involved.

The aim of the war was the conquest of Canada. However, the war probably would not have occurred without arrogant British actions. Many of the sailors impressed were native born Americans and boarding US merchant ships was also offensive. There were other similar issues, including firing on a US Navy ship 5 years earlier.

They celebrated the 200th anniversary of the war in Canada. Canadians did defend Canada, but it would not be accurate to call it a Canadian victory over the US.

redcoat

Their original demands?
The British government instructed their navy not to interfere with US merchant shipping in the first months of the war because they thought their revoking of the orders of council would be enough for the USA to withdraw its declaration of war.
The British did not want this war, therefore they didn't have any demands at the start merely a wish to end it without losing any territory or being forced to accept US demands on maritime issues




The British had eventually admitted their commander was at fault, releasing the surviving sailors and agreeing to pay compensation before the war broke out

redcoat

While the military situation on the borders was favourable, it was still far beyond the British to be able to dictate terms to the USA.

Harry

If it was just the military situation on the borders I would agree, but it was much more than that. The US was virtually bankrupt. The government could not even pay the soldiers. The entire US coast was open to attack and there were numerous attacks in the Chesapeake Bay and on the New England coast. The bottom line is that Britain did in fact try to dictate terms at Ghent and they were only successful at keeping maritime issues out of the treaty. Although that along with keeping their colonies in BNA was their most important objective.

phil1904

We know that for a long time!
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SirOrmondeWinter

That's what it's all aboot!

PapawJohn

The college textbook that I used back in the late 60s for the Freshman Survey of American History had an introduction to the chapter on the 'western' campaign. It cautioned the young American student that the events of those battles would appear so stupid that one could think them humorous. The events seemed deadly serious to the young men fighting them on both sides and many people suffered and many died. And absolutely nothing else was accomplished.

I'd just gotten out of Viet Nam a year or two prior. It made me think that I had something in common with those young men from 1812-14.

pugsville

All wars tend of their own special version of insanity.

Edric Streona

Most of the war was fought by populations that didn’t want it. The British and Canadians certainly didn’t and the Americans of Vermont, Maine and the border states were against it. But those men who were going to be furthest from the fighting were decidedly for it. Imagine that!