Adam Smith predicted in The Wealth of Nations (1776) that if given representation in Parliament, in a century the Thirteen Colonies would become the center of the British Empire, but the American Revolution that began at that time disrupted the empire's relationship with the new United States.[1] The War of 1812 and disputes along the Canada–US border continued to cause suspicion between the two countries. The U.S. was seen as a potential threat by the British Empire, which was seen in turn as the antique and aristocratic empire which had once ruled America.