The Outbreak Of The War Of1812and The Formation Of The Ideology Of Sea Power

The conception of sea power mainly refers to naval force and maritime rights and interests, of which the ideology of sea power is the inner core. The ideology is a stable perception of American public and elites in the ocean, the value of Navy and maritime rights. American people had attached great importance to marine culture and oceanic strategy, which leads to the formation of the ideology. This critical period lasted from the Independence to1815, during which the close connection between its prosperity and navigation, the conflicts and war threats the United States confronted and the right consciousness laid the foundation. Meanwhile, America’s commerce and security were under constant threats which the "economical coercion" failed to protect it from. Then the public and the emerging provincial and interest fractions came to realize the importance of maritime rights and the necessity of a naval force. The conflicts and tension finally escalated to the War of1812, which stirred up patriotism and ideology of sea power. The thesis focuses on the formation of the ideology of sea power, using historical, political and sociological approaches analyzing the early America’s social condition and external environment and the war decision, trying to reveal the correlation between its formation and the outburst of the War of1812.