Existing comment:
Britain and France at War:
Britain and France, along with their allies, fought a series of wars between 1793 and 1815 called the "French Revolutionary Wars" and the "Napoleonic Wars."
In an attempt to secure its Revolution at home, France's new leaders had launched military attacks on its neighbors. These soon evolved into wars of conquest and imperial expansion that propelled Napoleon Bonaparte to power. Great Britain was France's chief opponent and was the world's most powerful economic and naval power. Maritime trade was vital to both nations, turning a European war into a global struggle across the seas.
The importance of American sea trade made it a target for both France and Britain. They plundered American ships in order to undermine each other's economies. However, neither country wished to get entangled in a distracting side war against the United States.
In fact, by spring 1812 the British government was seeking to avoid such a conflict. At the same time that the American Congress declared war on Britain, the British Parliament was about to repeal the measures restricting American trade with Europe. To those Americans fired up for a fight, however, this was too little, too late. |