Since the country's formation following the American Revolutionary Era, the United States has been regarded by most of the outside world as a military power to be reckoned with. However, there have been some U.S.-involved conflicts where American success has not always been the rule of the day.
9. War Of 1812
The War of 1812 lasted for two years between 1812 and 1814. It saw a series of battles between the United States and Great Britain over the issue of British violations of U.S. maritime rights. As a British colony, Canada also played an important role in the war by fighting on behalf of the British. Though the United States did not win the war in a clear-cut manner, the Treaty of Ghent was signed on December 24, 1814, restoring relations between the two warring factions. It also restored the boundaries of the United States and colonial Britain to pre-war conditions. Much of the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C. was burnt by the British during the conflict, and the young nation was shaken to its core. Nonetheless, numerous American war heroes emerged from the fighting (such as Andrew Jackson for his involvement at the Battle of New Orleans and the fight against Creeks in Alabama and Georgia). The national anthem of the United States was also inspired by the hostilities, as Francis Scott Key was inspired to pen the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner" as he witnessed the Battle of Fort McHenry in the harbor of Baltimore, Maryland in September of 1814.
