What was one of the major reasons for American entry in the War of 1812?

Answer 1

The English were kidnapping our merchant sailors on the high seas and anywhere else they could catch them. We were not pleased with this. Later, English attacked us with the idea of regaining control of us. We didn't like that idea either.

Answer:

The War of 1812 was actually the second time the US had tried to forcibly annex Canada, so the stakes were high: the very existence of Canada. And Canada won.

Today, American history books downplay or ignore their plan to annex Canada, but as American politician John C. Calhoun said at the time, "I believe that in four weeks from the time a declaration of war is heard on our frontier, the whole of Upper Canada and a part of Lower Canada will be in our power."

The War of 1812 dashed American politicians' hopes of taking Canada from Britain, something the "War Hawks" who pushed for war felt was, as Thomas Jefferson put it, "merely a matter of marching". The previous American attempt to invade and annex Canada, in 1775, had been a disaster, and history was about to repeat itself. The United States launched full scale invasions into Upper and Lower Canada, and despite their numerical advantage, were routed by a combination of British regular regiments, Indians, and a much larger number of Canadian militia and "provincial" troops, also Canadian.

The Americans were chased back across the border, and well past it, surrendering Detroit, Buffalo, and Fort Dearborn (Chicago). The Royal Navy also successfully blockaded American ports, causing economic chaos, particularly in New England. Things were going so badly that, with the decision to start a war, and the subsequent military disasters, the seven states of New England were seriously and openly discussing seceding from the Union.

The other reason cited for declaring war was the Royal Navy's impressment of American sailors, but the RN ended impressment before the United States declared war.

Who gets the credit? Beyond a doubt, Sir Isaac Brock and his British regulars were the core of the defence, but there were three times as many Canadian militia and provincial regulars, plus natives. And Canadians from Upper and Lower Canada were drawn together, having literally saved the country. It certainly served to speed up the process of nationhood.

It was a war the British barely noticed, because they were involved in their largest war in centuries, against Napoleon's empire. When that ended, the British began to ship much larger numbers of troops to North America, which is when the Americans asked for the talks that ended with a peace treaty. Three weeks AFTER the peace treaty, the US won the battle of New Orleans.

There are those, of course, who dispute a Canadian victory in the war on the grounds that there was no 'Canada', and no 'Canadians'. In fact, references to those terms pre-date the first use of the term 'Americans' by about a hundred years.

Answer 2

American belief that the british were inspiring native american resistance to american expansion

Answer 3

The reason for the US to enter the War of 1812 was due to the separation of the Northern colonies. Also, the invasion of the British in North America prompted the war.