The War of 1812 started mainly due to several key issues between the United States and Britain:
- British trade restrictions intended to block American commerce with France during the Napoleonic Wars.
- The British Royal Navy's practice of impressment, forcibly recruiting American sailors into British naval service.
- British military support for Native American resistance against American expansion into the Northwest Territory.
- American desires to uphold national honor after British maritime insults.
- Some American interest in territorial expansion, including hopes to annex parts of Canada.
These tensions culminated in the U.S. declaring war on Britain on June 18, 1812, despite internal political divisions and late British attempts at reconciliation which did not reach the U.S. in time. The war was driven by both defense of maritime rights and frontier conflicts tied to American expansionism.
