How did the War of 1812 affect American industry?

In can be said that the American War of 1812 with Great Britain accelerated the pace of industrialization, particularly in the north. Before the conflict, Americans depended on manufactured goods, especially clothing, from Britain and France. The Embargo Act, passed by Thomas Jefferson as an alternative to war, challenged Americans to become self-sufficient in manufacturing. While the Embargo Act was repealed before the war started, the British blockade pinched imports from reaching America's shores. This...

In can be said that the American War of 1812 with Great Britain accelerated the pace of industrialization, particularly in the north. Before the conflict, Americans depended on manufactured goods, especially clothing, from Britain and France. The Embargo Act, passed by Thomas Jefferson as an alternative to war, challenged Americans to become self-sufficient in manufacturing. While the Embargo Act was repealed before the war started, the British blockade pinched imports from reaching America's shores. This forced Americans to produce their own goods if they hoped to survive.

While the Embargo Act and War of 1812 forced Americans to produce their own goods, it did challenge manufacturers of New England in that they lost markets for their goods overseas. This hurdle was offset by the fact that domestic goods did not have a competitor in the American market. Manufacturers did not have to worry about being undercut by British goods during the war. The war also brought a sense of unity in the United States that did not exist prior. This sense of unity encouraged Americans to purchase domestic goods and aided in the creation of the Second Bank of the United States.