What are the causes the war of 1812 from the British Canada?

Question

The only things I heard is British made Indians attack settlers and interferring U.S. Ships and stealing men to serve British. What caused war of 1812 from British?

Answer 1

The relationship between Britain and the United States had been frigid since the latter gained their independence from the former. Trade had been substantial but diplomatic relations consisted of each party ignoring the other’s existence.

In 1793, Britain went to war against France in what became known as the Napoleonic Wars. The United States was neutral during this conflict but hostilities between the two belligerents interfered with its trade. The Royal Navy blockaded French ports and obliged all neutral shipping, especially American vessels, bound for France, to call first at a British port and pay duties on its cargo before being allowed to proceed. Furthermore the Royal Navy frequently stopped United States ships and pressed into service those seamen who had either deserted from the Royal Navy or were vaguely suspected of having deserted. This policy so incensed United States officials, that on 18th June 1812, President James Maddison declared war on Great Britain.

The Americans were ill prepared for war. An initial incursion into Canada was easily rebuffed. There were some minor naval skirmishes particularly involving the USS Constitution, which sank several Royal Navy vessels. The British army was too involved in Europe to send troops to fight, but British interests were preserved by supplying the Shawnee tribe with armaments to attack wagon trains, heading for Oregon. The Americans sent an expeditionary force into Canada, which burnt the city of York, now Toronto, and hurriedly retreated.

By 1814, after a series of victories in Europe, Britain had available resources to mount an offensive. An amphibious British force landed at Chesapeake Bay and after defeating the American army at the battle of Blandensberg, captured the city of Washington, destroyed the Capitol building and burnt down the president’s house. This residence was rebuilt soon after but had to be painted white in order to hide the burn marks, hence the name of the White House.

After such a disturbing and humiliating defeat, the Americans called a truce and signed a peace treaty, the Treaty of Ghent, which restored matters to the state they were in before the war.

Answer 2

leightonmowbray's answer goes a long way to answering your question although it isn't entirely complete. Both Britain and France had declared blockades against neutral shipping trading with the other. The primary difference is that the British were in the best position to be able to enforce it while the French blockade was mostly a paper one. The U.S. government gave both governments an ultimatum to rescind the blockade and said that it would take up arms against the other. The French, seeing a tactical opening in being able to (on paper, at least) end their blockade, make the British look bad and have the U.S. fight part of their battle for them, rescinded their blockade first. The reality is that French ships continued to interfere with U.S. merchantmen throughout the War. The British Orders In Council which were one of the primary public reasons given by the U.S. administration for declaring war were rescinded about a week before the States declared war. However, travel time across the Atlantic was around a month at the time and so, word arrived after hostilities commenced and the U.S. elected to continue for reasons I'll leave to others to speculate at.

As for Gary B's statement that the "cause of the war of 1812 was the Britsh wish to regain the American Colonies", this is another repetition of the 'Second War of Independence' canard that has often been repeated in the States when the War of 1812 comes up. Had Britain actually wanted to re-take the whole of North America, once Napoleon had been defeated on the Continent, the hundreds of thousands of battle-hardened troops would have been redeployed into North America to effect that. The fact is that that didn't happen. The attacks on Washington, Baltimore and New Orleans were intended to give the negotiators at Ghent more leverage over the U.S. negotiating team. However, while Washington was a clear victory, the attack on Fort McHenry was a stalemate and New Orleans was an embarassing fiasco

"1) Have indians harras western settelers and force them to retreat east. This would limit westward expansion and limit available resourses and trade."

The fact of the matter is that the native tribes in the west needed no special incentive from the British to want to halt further white settling of their land. The U.S. government wasn't known as the "Long Knives" for no reason. Their word wasn't trusted and there was a clear policy of extermination that accelerated in the decades after the War

Answer 3

I'd waffle on about this but Leightonmowbury hit it on the head.

All I will say is that the war of 1812 in the end actually brought the two nations closer together and this closeness eventually gave rise to the so called (at least over here in the mother ship) 'Special relationship'

I suppose after a long time of getting in each others faces British and American people realised that we did still have a lot in common.

Answer 4

There was a strained relationship between the former colonies and Britain. Their were Americans who wanted northern expansion into Canada and the removal of British forts on US. territory. The impressment of sailors to serve on British vessels led to a declaration of war by the US. It was a costly and rash decision to pit a fledgling fleet against the world's greatest naval power. The threat that Napoleon posed limited its damage on the states.

Answer 5

The cause of the war of 1812 was the Britsh wish to regain the American Colonies. Their view was that if the goverment went bankrupt and showed it was not recognized by the major european countries the colonies would see aid from britain. This was to be done in 3 ways.

1) Have indians harras western settelers and force them to retreat east. This would limit westward expansion and limit available resourses and trade.
2) harrass US trade ships at sea, taking the ships and cargo. Then forcing the crews into Royal Navy servatude. This slowed trade with europe and created fear in merchant sailors.
3) Bockade all Major US ports. Not allowing US trade to get to europe.

Answer 6

The British had not yet forgiven America for beating them. They were still impressing American seamen and the Tories that fled to Canada were upset over the loss of property. So it didn't take much to start another fight. It ended soon because Britian was more worried by Napoleon than America.