hen, at least on the surface, most Americans felt unified behind a common purpose. The War of 1812 convinced the country that it could now fend off any foreign threats and that its focus should be on expansion at home. Many people felt a national pride at this time. They had fought against one of the strongest empires of Europe and kept up with them. They did not win, but they did not lose either. They simply put forth enough energy to get the job done, then afterwards were no more content to build up a better military then to engage in another conflict. Nothing had been lost, but nationalism had been gained. Americans saw this time as a time to expand upon their economy, and to build an empire of merchants. But this time also showed something else that was never seen before, unity. This was the first war that everyone had fought as an American. The first generation after the revolution that had not really seen combat. That's why so many mistakes were made, but it was also why the United States, was for the first time in its history, united in their fight. Though some of the states like Massachusetts decided not to heed the call of the federal government for troops unless their state was invaded, they still fought when they were needed. The war debt was not of much concern to most of the people. Though it did run our nation a 3 billion-dollar debt, with the exploding market it would be paid off in no time. People wanted to build a better nation, and most were united in the cause. They realized that being divided and weak during wartime was no way to win. But they also realized that they did not want to become a world power just yet. The nation went into a period of isolation and did not come out of it until after the Spanish-American war. The children of the nation did gothrough a great change though. Many of them wanted to be president. The leaders of our nation such as the president and the congress were looked upon in awe. They were...
