Causes
Trade With France
In the early 19th century, Britain and France were actively engaged in an altercation that resulted in Britain having control of most of the seas, and France controlling most of the land in Europe. Both sides realized there would not be a decisive win if they began openly warring so they resorted to commercial warfare. The Napoleonic Wars were raging, and American ships began to be captured by both sides when trying to trade with Europe. In November of 1807, Britain created the Order in Council which forced all neutral ships to either go through British ports or be searched by British authorities. To counter this, Napoleon decided that any neutral ships that had interactions with the British were to be considered denationalized and taken by France. This set of rules caused 900 American ships to be captured by one side or the other between 1807 and 1812. The Americans became outraged at the Chesapeake incident, in which the British Royal Navy barraged an American ship and wounded several sailors. President Jefferson took this opportunity to retaliate with a blockade of his own. He closed American seaports to international trade and prevented ships from leaving but this hurt the American economy more than Britain or France. Eventually, the Non-Intercourse Act changed the rule to stop American ships from trading with Britain, France, or their colonial allies until someone removed their embargo. Britain finally repealed its Orders on June 16, 1812, but the news arrived much too late. America declared war on Britain just two days later.
Impressment
Because the Royal Navy had grown so large, the British began drafting any able-bodied British man into service. They began taking men from pubs and brothels, and soon even began stopping and inspecting American ships to take sailors. Law required impressed sailors to be British, but this was very loose interpretation. Many British men who had been naturalized as American citizens, or American men who had British parents, were taken with disregard to their status as American citizens. From 1803 to 1812, 5000-9000 Americans were forced into service in the British navy, and around three in four were legitimate American citizens. Although the American government protested impressment many times, the British brushed off their complaints as pretentious and silly. Tensions between America and the British continued to rise.
British Support of Indian Raids
Since the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, there had been dispute between Americans and Indian Nations in the Northwest Territory (OH, IN, IL, MI, WI). It had been ceded to the Americans by the British in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Indians then set up many tribes to block expansion into their land. The British looked at the Indians as an advantage and made them allies, providing them with weapons, as they provided a buffer between the Americans and Canada. The Indian Confederation began performing raids against Americans in 1810 and 1811 in order to keep them from settling in the Northwest Territory. The British continued to attempt to form a "neutral" Indian state in the Northwest, but the Americans became furious. The Americans were appalled at the British demands and it increased tensions between the nations.
US Political Conflict
Although the British was mainly clueless about this fact, the American government was in disarray. The country was torn between the Federalist party and the Democratic-Republican party. Federalists in the northeast pushed for a strong central government and ties to the British, while the Democratic-Republicans in the south and west wanted a weaker central government, expansion into Indian land, the preservation of slavery and a strong break with Britain. The Federalist party had weakened considerably by 1812, but the remaining Federalists had no support for the war. Once the Federalist party was destroyed at the Hartford Convention, there was more support across the board for the government.
In the early 19th century, Britain and France were actively engaged in an altercation that resulted in Britain having control of most of the seas, and France controlling most of the land in Europe. Both sides realized there would not be a decisive win if they began openly warring so they resorted to commercial warfare. The Napoleonic Wars were raging, and American ships began to be captured by both sides when trying to trade with Europe. In November of 1807, Britain created the Order in Council which forced all neutral ships to either go through British ports or be searched by British authorities. To counter this, Napoleon decided that any neutral ships that had interactions with the British were to be considered denationalized and taken by France. This set of rules caused 900 American ships to be captured by one side or the other between 1807 and 1812. The Americans became outraged at the Chesapeake incident, in which the British Royal Navy barraged an American ship and wounded several sailors. President Jefferson took this opportunity to retaliate with a blockade of his own. He closed American seaports to international trade and prevented ships from leaving but this hurt the American economy more than Britain or France. Eventually, the Non-Intercourse Act changed the rule to stop American ships from trading with Britain, France, or their colonial allies until someone removed their embargo. Britain finally repealed its Orders on June 16, 1812, but the news arrived much too late. America declared war on Britain just two days later.
Impressment
Because the Royal Navy had grown so large, the British began drafting any able-bodied British man into service. They began taking men from pubs and brothels, and soon even began stopping and inspecting American ships to take sailors. Law required impressed sailors to be British, but this was very loose interpretation. Many British men who had been naturalized as American citizens, or American men who had British parents, were taken with disregard to their status as American citizens. From 1803 to 1812, 5000-9000 Americans were forced into service in the British navy, and around three in four were legitimate American citizens. Although the American government protested impressment many times, the British brushed off their complaints as pretentious and silly. Tensions between America and the British continued to rise.
British Support of Indian Raids
Since the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, there had been dispute between Americans and Indian Nations in the Northwest Territory (OH, IN, IL, MI, WI). It had been ceded to the Americans by the British in the Treaty of Paris in 1783. The Indians then set up many tribes to block expansion into their land. The British looked at the Indians as an advantage and made them allies, providing them with weapons, as they provided a buffer between the Americans and Canada. The Indian Confederation began performing raids against Americans in 1810 and 1811 in order to keep them from settling in the Northwest Territory. The British continued to attempt to form a "neutral" Indian state in the Northwest, but the Americans became furious. The Americans were appalled at the British demands and it increased tensions between the nations.
US Political Conflict
Although the British was mainly clueless about this fact, the American government was in disarray. The country was torn between the Federalist party and the Democratic-Republican party. Federalists in the northeast pushed for a strong central government and ties to the British, while the Democratic-Republicans in the south and west wanted a weaker central government, expansion into Indian land, the preservation of slavery and a strong break with Britain. The Federalist party had weakened considerably by 1812, but the remaining Federalists had no support for the war. Once the Federalist party was destroyed at the Hartford Convention, there was more support across the board for the government.