gaining cred

  It was on this date June 18, 1812 that America declared war on Great Britain. The war of 1812 isn't talked about very much, it's seems to be more of a footnote in history than anything else. People did fight and die in that conflict and that needs to be remembered. I had ancestors engaged in those battles and they all made it home safely. At least one I'm aware of was given a land grant for his service. It was the first war ever declared by the United States of America. James Madison was president, a democratic-republican having defeated the federalist party candidate, DeWitt Clinton. No relation to Bill or Hillary though. The war centered on the naval blockade by the British that severely impacted the American economy. You could say it was related to tariffs in that it was impacting international trade and business. The federalists opposed the war, calling it Madison's war and staging protests for over a month. Not much changes over time .

  The most well known fact about the War of 1812 is Francis Scott Key writing the Star Spangled Banner. We all know how he watched, as a captive aboard a British ship, the bombardment of Fort McHenry. In the dawns early light he saw our flag was still there! The tide of the war was changing then and the British were seeking a peaceful solution as they too were in dire financial straights. They had just finished a war with France after all and their resources had been stretched pretty thin. Madison thought the we would easily take Canada from the British. That didn't happen. Today we are hearing about Trump wanting to make Canada a state. He isn't the first one to think about that. Canada didn't become self governing until 1867. It wasn't until 1982 that Canada gained complete autonomy from Britain, able to amend its' own constitution without the approval from Parliament. The war of 1812 wasn't really about taking territory, it was about opening up trade.

  The federalists eventually became the Democrats we know today. The democratic republicans, simply republicans. You will hear people say how the parties flipped and flopped. The democrats like to say that, we're really the republicans and you're the democrats. It's the same childhood saying, I'm rubber and your glue, anything you say bounces off me and sticks to you. The federalists opposed the war because of economic concerns and proclaimed it a power grab by Madison and the democratic-republicans. A sort of, no kings thing. History is full of little things like that. The republicans supported the war based on National honor, feeling the British impressment of our sailors and interfering with our trade with other nations, warranted such a response. It had only been 29  years since the end of the revolutionary war, Britain signing the treaty of Ghent And yes, some wanted to acquire more territory for the United States, and Canada would be perfect. The thinking being to kick the British out of there, removing them from our front door!

  Some call the war of 1812 the second war of independence. That isn't what it was all about at all. Great Britain wasn't interested in fighting to regain the colonies. It was the United States that declared war on them. We weren't going to be pushed round, taken advantage of or bullied. We had gained our independence, our sovereignty and demanded respect on the world stage. We have held that position ever since and became and remain the strongest nation on the planet! The war of 1812 was that announcement to the world. We have earned our freedom, we now have that "street cred" and will never surrender that. Our flag still flies and will continue to fly proudly. There are times when you have to do the unpopular thing, make those tough choices and exert your presence. We will not be taken advantage of, or bullied by anyone! We will stand up for ourselves!