Before and After the War of 1812 The British’s needs for men were growing as a result from their ongoing war. The British fleet was expanding and the usual methods for recruitment were not filling the gap. British sailors were leaving the navy for better wages and conditions found on American ships. The American people were growing tired of the British forcing American sailors to serve in the Royal Navy. The British would often wait just off the shore of the U.S. territories and search ships for contraband while impressing some of the crew for service. This war taught the British to respect Americans and take them more serious on a world level. Although no territories were gained or lost by either country, many issues that upset the Americans had dissipated. The Treaty of Ghent established the status quo ante bellum meaning no territorial changes were made by either side. The British were no longer using impressments after they had defeated Napoleon. The British realized how important American trade was to their country and in July 1815 signed a commercial convention ending discriminatory duties and anything encouragingto trade. Many of the reasons that America went to war with the British are debatable but the war played a major portion of America’s history. The war had helped many Americans feel complete independence after their second independent war. British Canada viewed the war as a reprieve from American takeover even though no intentions of taking Canada from the British were made by America. Even though the two countries had many casualties on both sides, they were able to find peaceful solutions too many of their problems. Works Cited Carnes, M. C., & Garraty, J. A. THE AMERICAN NATION A HISTORY OF THE UNITED