War of 1812 :: essays research papers

List and discuss the events leading up to the War of 1812 and the impact it had on American and Great Britain relations, and the American economy. During Jefferson’s second term in office, fighting between Great Britain and France was posed as a threat to American shipping. Napoleon made the decision to exclude British goods from Europe. As a result, Great Britain decided to blockade Europe and prevent ships from entering or leaving the country. A year later, Britain confiscated American cargoes and seized more than a thousand American ships. France had seized about five hundred American ships as well. America’s anger began to focus mainly on the British, even though France was also involved. This was because of the British policy of impressments. The British decided to capture American sailors, or draft them into the British navy. Also, in 1807, the commander of a British warship insisted on boarding and searching the United States naval frigate Chesapeake. When a United States captain refused to allow him onboard, the British killed three Americans and wounded eighteen. As a result, Jefferson convinced Congress to declare an embargo and ban exporting products to other countries. The Embargo Act of 1807 was eventually lifted in 1809 because it stifled American business. A group of young congressmen, known as the war hawks, were angered by the presence of Native Americans in the Indiana territory. Trobule began when General William Henry Harrison persuaded several Native American chiefs to sign away three million acres of tribal land to the United States government. A confederacy of Native Americans began to organize a fight for their homeland against intruding white settlers. This was lead by Shawnee Chief Tecumseh. Tecumseh’s brother lead the Shawnee in an attack on Harrison, but was defeated. When the war hawks found out that the confederacy was using arms from British Canada, they again called for war. James Madison, another Virginia Republican, declared war against Britain in 1812. He believed that Britain was trying to strangle American trade and weaken the American economy.