war of 1812

The outcome of the war was a stalemate: neither side benefited when the Treaty of Ghent was signed. However, during the war a British blockade forced the United States, a mercantile nation, to seriously industrialize because its lucrative trade with Europe was disrupted. Also, Americans began, for better or worse, to develop their own distinct culture that distanced itself from Britain. With some exceptions in more sophisticated cities like New York and Philadelphia, and a few major southern plantations, European high culture and intellectualism were taboo in America for many years after the war. This was the era that saw the emergence of rural "white trash" American folk heroes like Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.