American entry into War of 1812 was justified for many reasons. Some reasons include British impressment of American sailors, the lack of success of the embargoes America had put on Britain, the British arming of frontier Indian tribes and encouraging them to fight the Americans who lived on the frontier, and by the lack of success of the Jay's Treaty and the Monroe-Pickney Treaty.

In 1793, England went to was with France. Britain's plan was to blockade French ports, destroy French ships, and seize any ship trying to trade with France. Trade with France was very important to the United States economy so the Americans defied the British and carried on booming trade with France. Britain's retaliation was to confiscate American ships and board many American ships searching for deserted British sailors. Britain would also impress American sailors into the Royal Navy Force as well. Britain Impressed American sailors because thousands of British sailors had been deserting British ships to take jobs in American vessels because better conditions, better pay, and treatment. (Nardo 67-69)

Impressment of American sailors angered American citizens who demanded war but President Washington decid

In 1803, Britain and France were at war together and Britain began to violate Americans rights again. Impressment of American sailors resumed and about 6,000 sailors were impressed into the Royal Navy Force from 1803-1812. The British also interfered with American trade in the West Indies, violated U. S. territorial waters, used many naval blockades, and used a broad definition of contraband in order to prevent French-American trade.

Greenblatt, Miriam. The War of 1812; America at War. New York: Facts on File, 1994

the Orders began to take affect in the United States as the South and the West suffered an economic depression in 1810 because farmers had lost markets for their crops. In 1810, Napoleon tricked Madison into reinstating the embargo against Britain. Even after realizing that he had been double-crossed, Madison continued the embargo hoping that it would eventually hurt the British economy and get the British to suspend the Orders in Council. (Nardo pp 39-42)

When no answer came by June, Madison asked Congress to issue a declaration of war. (Greenblatt 98-102)

Another reason why America was unjustified for going to war was because America was not ready for war. The seven thousand men in the army were badly prepared and did not have the experience for such a war. The army morale was low as well as the supplies for soldiers. There was little money in the Treasury to pay for the supplies. The early attacks were weakly planned and unsuccessful. Madison had to consider a draft because enlistment in the army was so low, but he decided not to because New England would have sceded if he did so. (Nardo pp 56-58)

The Monroe-Pickney Treaty of 1806 tried to resolve these problems. This treaty was more favorable to Americans than Jay's Treaty, but Thomas Jefferson found it so dissatisfactory that he did not want to even submit it to the Senate, because it ignored the matter of impressment. (Greenblatt 155-156)

When Madison was recommending the war to the American public, he stressed "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights" as the leading cause of the conflict. But, In New England, which owned three-fourths of America's merchant fleet and home to most seamen, opposed the war. Most of the Northeast did not partake in the war. Many New Englanders saw Britain as their only hope against Napoleon and condemned

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