America’s war with Britain seemed inevitable although the Americans did everything they could do to avoid it, for example in 1807 when British ships, the leopard opened fire on an American ship the Chesapeake. The choice before America, Jefferson the former president and Madison agreed was war or submission. As John Quincy Adams put it “It was not a matter of dollars and cents, no alternative was left but war or the abandonment of our right as an independent nation” The offences

The opinions of these Southern and Western states reflected the ideas of Henry Clay, the leader of the War hawks, who himself was from Kentucky. The war hawks desire for land, fear of a British backed Indian conspiracy, concern over the declining prices of agriculture products and the restrictions of markets abroad have all believed to have been basic cause of the war. When asked about his reasoning for the push for war, Henry Clay would answer “What are we to gain by peace?” His reasons had to do with a mentality that they would lose their country’s character, commerce and nations best treasure if they didn’t go to war. He believed that what they had to gain was reduced revenue to nearly ten million dollars. Clay could also not ignore the impressions of American sailors by British fleets, this was another driving force. Henry Clay assumed a leading role in the war against Britain. He then affected President Madison’s decision about the war and more or less pushed Madison from being indifferent to declaring war. Clay saw the British as an intrusive and unwanted force that was trampling on the feet and violating the rights of his countrymen.

committed against the United States were the major causes for the war, reasons other then vindication can be regarded as rationalization. There was an obvious anger for what British had done to America and many Americans merely wanted revenge but the war was fought for much more then that.

The statement that the war of 1812 was born purely out of a “Pointless aggression” is true to an

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