The Vermont was the world’s second commercial steamer and the first to operate on Lake Champlain. Designed by the Winans brothers, John and James, and commandeered by the military to carry troops and supplies, it survived the war only to sink in the Richelieu River in 1815 when its crankshaft disconnected and punched a hole through the bottom of the hull.

The War of 1812, which was waged both on land and water, has often been described as America’s most obscure war. It is probably Great Britain’s, too, all things considered. Donald Hickey, in his book The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict, writes that “the average American is only vaguely aware of why they fought or who the enemy was”. The same would probably apply to the average Brit as well.

Hickey puts forward various reasons as to why this should be. There were no great presidents involved and no well-known generals led the charge – either literally or figuratively – in any notable land battles, with the possible exception of Andrew Jackson’s defeat of the British at New Orleans in 1814. Neither were there any major naval engagements along the lines of Trafalgar or Aboukir Bay. Plus the causes were complex and are debated to this day.

Many scholars have argued that America went to war over free trade and sailors’ rights. Others that it was down to western aims; a new and immature nation’s desire to flex its muscles and finally expel the British from the continent – or, at the very least, weaken their influence over Canada and the Indian Nations – in order to secure additional farmland. Others have even put forward the theory that it was a Republican ploy to forge party unity, maintain power, and undermine the Federalists.

As to the consequences of President Madison’s declaration of war in the summer of 1812, there is debate over those as well.

Compared to European conflicts of the time, the cost in lives was relatively small. British losses have been put at around 8,600 killed, wounded or missing, while the Americans suffered around 11,500 casualties. When the respective governments signed the Treaty of Ghent on Christmas Eve 1814, the agreement was that all areas of conquest were to be returned to the state that had existed before the war began.

If anyone could claim victory it was Canada. America declaring war on Britain and setting out to make British North America part of the United States led ultimately to the union of the provinces who came together to fight a common foe, thus laying the foundation stones for modern Canada, where the war is commemorated with a great deal of national pride.

But there were losers.