The United States attempted to avoid engaging in this European conflict through peaceable negotiations and economic coercion. But they could not ignore obvious British disrespect for their sovereignty. The British impressed thousands of sailors from American ships and obviously did think American retaliation to be a real threat. “No nation mindful of its diplomatic fences would have kidnapped 3,800 neutral aliens of one nationality.”(Smelser 224).

England forced the United States to choose between submission and war. They treated American grievances like internal problems, again not respecting the sovereignty they had fought to earn. The decision to declare war was not made lightly. Madison was not a war monger like Napoleon, but honor compelled him to act, as

Though America did not do so well on the Northern front the desire to expand into Canadian territory, for some, was primary cause of the War of 1812. The battle cry in the West was “Onward to Canada”, due to the belief that all America would have to do is march in and Canada would fall, this proved to be a fallacy. The Americans desired Canadian territory so they could monopolize the fur trade, and possibly as reprisal for the Chesapeake incident. Annexing Canada would , “…cut off naval stores and food supplies to the British sugar islands, it would close a vent of manufactures, it would neutralize bases from which royal ships vexed the coast, it would demolish a nest of spies, and it would quiet the Indians.” (Smelser 222). Conquering Canada would lessen the threat that the English could invade America.

well as the desire to not see America reduced to a British protectorate. Madison believed he was protecting what he called, “the last and fairest experiment in favor of the rights of human nature.”, what we might call the American way of life.

As I stated before British disregard for American sovereignty was an insult few Americans wished to ignore. Honor compelled the decision to enter.

Evidence that patriotism and honor were major causations of the war can be found in the fact that we did go to war. The War of 1812 was about the state

Some topics in this essay:
, James Monroe, Brest Elbe, America Northern, Britain France, Annexing Canada, America Evidence, England France, war 1812, Conquering Canada, Henry Clay, cause war, cause war 1812, honor compelled, patriotism honor, war war, british disregard, canadian territory,