The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was, in many ways, a second war for independence. Britain was impressing American sailors into its navy to fight in the Napoleonic War. The U.S. complained that Britain was violating the freedom of the seas, but it didn't change Britain's policy. In addition, British ships began confiscating the cargo of American ships to prevent them from trading with France. This escalated into a British blockade of the American coast. The U.S. couldn't tolerate the damage this did to its economy, and knew that Britain was oppressing them just like they had when they were a colony. War began in 1812.
When the war of 1812 began, David Farragut was 11 years old. He had become an official midshipman (apprentice officer) only 1 year before. David Porter was assigned captain of the Essex, and Farragut sailed with him as a midshipman. The Essex captured several British ships. Farragut had his first experience in naval command when he was temporarily in charge of a recaptured American ship, the Barclay, at only 12 years old.
By the end of the War of 1812 in 1814, Britain had humiliated America by burning the capital. However, both countries agreed to the Treaty of Ghent, which ended fighting but did not solve the problems that had caused the war. The reason for this was because although Britain had a superior navy, it was too costly for them to fight both the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic War at once.