Consider the causes and costs of the war, the treaty of ghent, and the impact of the war on the american people. was the war of 1812 worth fighting? did it or hurt the young united states?

The war of 1812 was a complete failure for the side of the united states as they did not achieve there goal of gaining land of the french and british settlers of what will later become "Canada" and had their capital building set on fire in the process. there was no major loss of life for either side, as it was an older war, before the common fighting styles.  
all in all, it was not a success for any side. 
Pierre Berton wrote of the treaty, "It was as if no war had been fought, or to put it more bluntly, as if the war that was fought was fought for no good reason. For nothing has changed; everything is as it was in the beginning save for the graves of those who, it now appears, have fought for a trifle:...Lake Erie and Fort McHenry will go into the American history books, Queenston Heights and Crysler's Farm into the Canadian, but without the gore, the stench, the disease, the terror, the conniving, and the imbecilities that march with every army.