Reasons for War Great Britain had long been involved in wars with France since 1793. Napoleon, who was leader of the French at the time, had long hoped to invade and conquer Britain. The navy, however, was destroyed in 1805 at the battle of Trafalgar. So instead, Napoleon pushed the Milan Decree to engage in economic warfare with Great Britain in hopes to destroy their economy. This was an attempt to shut off all trade between Great Britain and Europe. In response, Britain issued a series know as the Orders of Counsel, which forbade French trade with the United Kingdom, its allies, or its neutrals. To do this, the British set up blockades forbidding trade. This also continued increasing the tensions between these two great nations as well as their economic warfare.
These blockades greatly annoyed the Americans and had a tremendous effect on their shipping. Before 1806, the United States economic system flourished due to the European War. Before these decrees were issued, the United States was able to deliver goods to both Great Britain and France. This, however, changed. The conflicting decrees ordered that the Americans were to stop at Great Britain to pay fees and go over an inspection before heading to France; while on the other hand, Napoleon had ordered that neutral ships should avoid receiving inspection. Furthermore, anyone who disobeyed Britain’s orders would be stopped and seized upon. The United States really had no other option but to trade with other neutral countries until the policy had changed, or the wars ended. These controversies are what lead to the impressments of United States sea men. The Royal Navy (British Navy) was always in need of sea men. First Blood
While wars and conflicts continue between Britain and Napoleon, the United States attempted to remain aloof from the conflicts, while continuing to benefit from neutral trade. The United States had the second largest commercial fleet in the world [1], likely due to their raw resources found on American soil and their benefits from remaining neutral in the Napoleonic Wars. The Royal Navy is always short of sea men during war time, so they employed impressments on neutral ships, such as the United States, to acquire more men, whether by land or sea. [2] This worked greatly to Great Britain’s advantage too well and managed to seize, according to President James Madison’s State Department, 6,257 American men. This number was most likely exaggerated. Another report says that it was only a few hundred. [3]
The British Naval ship, theLeopard, attacks the American merchant ship, the Chesapeake, off of American shores.
The Americans, however, objected to such belittling practices, and on one occasion, they decided that they would ignore the British ships. This did not end in favor for the Americans. In June 1807 the Chesapeake-Leopard affair took ground, and the Royal Navy sought to continue to undermine American sovereignty. The British vessel Leopard was to stop the American merchant ship Chesapeake. But the American ship would have none of this. The Leopard simply opened fire, killing three sailors, and wounding 18 more. The Chesapeake was totally unprepared for combat when on its way to the Mediterranean and was forced to surrender. The British boarding party took four men. This humiliation on the very coasts of American soil outraged American citizens. They neither forgave nor forgot this incident. President James Madison, who did not have a high amount of popularity, seeing as though he had barely beaten Monroe in the 1808 election, soared in popularity for just a moment due to an agreement he was to make with the British Prime Minister, David Erskine. Earlier he had implied the Non-Intercourse Law, which replaced the Embargo Act, which was created to pressure the French and British to grant concessions by depriving them of goods. They negotiated a settlement over the dispute of the Orders in Council. Madison would repeal his non-Intercourse Law as long as the British would repeal their orders. Erskine was eager to make an agreement. So eager, that he had withheld information that no American administration could possibly accept. He was replaced with Francis James Jackson. Jackson’s appointment made it clear that there would be no concessions on neutral rights. [4] United States would create a series of acts and laws in an attempt to damage either the French or British economy until one or the other would give up the decrees and orders. These policies ultimately failed, until congress passed Macon’s Bill No. 2 in 1811, which was intended to encourage both France and Britain to cease stopping American Ships at seas. Napoleon used Macon’s Bill No 2 towards his advantage, and pretended to repeal his decrees so far as the one’s that pertained to United States ships. In response, President James Madison shut off all trade with Great Britain in the summer of 1811. President Madison furthered his attempts to make an agreement with Britain, but these attempts ultimately failed. On June 1, 1812, James Madison declared war. [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
Bibliography [if !supportLineBreakNewLine] [endif]
[if !supportLists]1. 1. [endif]Caxton Pectoral Histories, the Naval War of 1812. Pg 18-19.
[if !supportLists]2. 2. [endif]Horseman, Reginald, World Book 21. Pg 29
[if !supportLists]3. 3. [endif]http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-war-of-1812-102320130/?no-ist (accessed 3/27/15)
[if !supportLists]4. 4. [endif]J. C. A. Staggs, The War of 1812: Confliction for a Continent. Pg 34-35
