I have heard theories from both Americans and Canadians saying either side won the war of 1812. So which country actually won the war of 1812?

by in_me_bum_mum
Jan_van_Bergen

The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war between the United States and the United Kingdom established that the result would be the status quo ante, or things would revert to the situation from before the war started. So in that sense, it was a draw.

Canadians are generally going to point out that the US invasion of British Canada was a failure (and it was), which from the Canadian perspective looks like a victory. Its important to remember, though, that Canada was a British colony at the time, and so it was not acting alone, but was one front of a larger war. But it's certainly true that on this particular front, the British soundly defeated the Americans.

Americans will focus on the Battle of New Orleans - the last major battle of the war that was fought after the treaty had already been signed. In this battle, an American volunteer force under Andrew Jackson absolutely obliterated a larger British army just outside of New Orleans (which was, at the time, the largest and arguably the most important city in the United States). From this perspective, it looks like an American victory.

And of course, we cannot forget that the British invaded Washington and burned down the White House, so there is certainly an argument to be made that the Americans were negotiating in Belgium from a position of weakness. But I'm going to let another user come in with the details of that, as its too far out of my wheelhouse.