The War of 1812 proved to be the one of the most serious challenge to face the United States. This "Second war of Independence" changed American history. This essay will discuss the causes for this war assessing whether there actually were valid reasons for the United States and Britain going to war or whether the whole 1812 war was pointless aggression. .
The war of 1812 was a very unnecessary war. It broke out just as one of its chief causes (The Orders in Council) was removed and its greatest battle (New Orleans) was fought just after peace was signed. The war was unnecessary from a British point of view but for the Americans it was inescapable. The Royal Navy had kidnapped 3,800 American sailors and pressed them into service. On the frontier it was believed that Indian restlessness war stirred up by British agents although really American oppression has to be seen as a big cause of this too. .
America's war with Britain seemed inevitable although the Americans did everything they decently could to avoid it, although there seemed to be endless provocation by Britain, for example in 1807 when a British frigate, the leopard opened fire on an American frigate the Chesapeake. There was an obvious anger for what British had done to America and many Americans merely wanted revenge.
The radical expansionism and the belief that Canada would join the United States also has to be a major cause for America going to war. Another primary cause of the war was the rise of Tecumseh the Indian chief who was believed to be backed by the British. This caused am urgency for the Americans to expel the British from Canada. .
New England had virtually everything in common with British Maritime interests but the further South and West you traveled the leaders you found who wanted a war with Britain as the road to expansion. .
The opinions of these Southern and Western states reflected the ideas of Henry Clay, the leader of the War hawks.