War 1812 History Essay Summary

War 1812
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The War of 1812 (second war of independence) occurred when the U.S. fought to protect the country’s rights to neutral trade after the British government had suspended the continental system. There were fledgling federation states in the U.S. The U.S. was a young, vulnerable, and military weak nation. After the French Revolution and there were violent confrontations between Britain and France, the major European powers. The British blockaded and isolated France under Napoleon, but the British then intercepted American ships on the high seas and American ships for deserters. American citizens were held and forced to serve in the British navy, and the English kidnapped thousands of American sailors.
Americans sought to maintain their independence and sovereignty and mostly retaliated against Britain. It was an attempt take to take advantage of the British when they were involved with the French in Europe. The British Empire enjoyed economic, political, and military dominance. Even as the British waged war against waged against Napoleon’s France, the British still controlled their colonies (Foner, 2014). Some feared that the U.S. was in serious danger of becoming an English colony. Jefferson had adopted a policy of neutrality, but this policy was limited in increasing the U.S. naval power as the seas have less defined boundaries, and this failed to guarantee freedom of the seas.
Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809) faced a dilemma as he sought to protect American sovereignty and avoid a war with Great Britain. Jefferson tried unsuccessfully to stop English actions by imposing an embargo. In 1807 the U.S. Congress passed a law prohi...