Finally, in 1812, President Madison signed a Declaration of War, which was narrowly approved by Congress. President Jefferson first tried to put pressure on Great Britain through its pocketbook, with trade embargoes these ended up devastating the American shipping economy without doing much to hurt either Britain or France. This didn’t sit well with Americans, who were irritated with the British for not withdrawing from territory around the Great Lakes, and for supporting the Indians in conflicts with settlers in the northeastern United States.
citizens off of American ships and impressing them into service with the Royal Navy.
Neither of the two squabbling nations wanted the United States to trade with its rival Britain went a step further by seizing U.S. The War of 1812, as it came to be known, was triggered in part by the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France. On this day in 1812, Congress declared war on Great Britain.
