Existing comment:
The War of 1812
The possibility of another war with Great Britain had been looming for years. Not only had Britain's ongoing war with France resulted in numerous trade restrictions against the United States, but England had also continued the impressments of American sailors into the Royal Navy; had offered support to American Indian tribes to stave off American expansion in the west; and, most importantly, had challenged our national honor repeatedly on the high seas. In June 1812, James Madison became the first US President to ask Congress to declare war. |