Causes of the War

1) The Americans kept pushing west into what was called "Indian Territory". This put the settlers in conflict with the Natives. The Americans thought that the British were helping the Natives revolt, because the British gave guns and many supplies to the Natives as part of the fur trade.

2) Britain was at war with France. The British wanted to stop France from getting supplies or being able to trade with its colonies. The Americans, because they were neutral in the fight, thought they should be able to trade with the French. The British disagreed and passed "Orders-in-Council" which allowed the British Navy to stop and turn back a number of American merchant ships.

3) Because treatment for seamen in the British Navy was very harsh, many of the men deserted. The British Navy was given legal permission to force any British citizen to serve in the Navy. This practice was called impressment. Navy ships would stop American ships at sea to capture British deserters; they also took Americans whom they thought might be deserters. The "Chesapeake Affair" in 1807 (when the British took over the American ship Chesapeake) was especially upsetting to the Americans as it happened within sight of land. This was felt to be an attack on American sovereignty. 4) A certain group of Americans thought the United States should control all of North America. These “War Hawks” felt that the British did not respect their independence. Britain had not yet accepted the United States as a sovereign nation. The "War Hawks" thought that if they seized the continent, they would force Great Britain to recognize them.

A British encampment