Over the course of the past two-hundred years, historians have debated about the ultimate causes of the War of 1812. They have credited a range of roots from political pressure on President Madison, to indignant Irish immigrants. Though it is improbable that anyone will know the definite reason, assuming that there is one, there are several elements that seem to have played a larger role than others in the build-up to, and continuation of the war. Three of those factors worked in conjunction with one another to spark the war; those were: impressment of American seamen, the effects of the embargo on Northeastern (and other) traders, and land expansion desired by a faction of the Republican party known as the War Hawks. Though it is easy to …show more content…
thousands of American citizens, under the safeguard of public law and of their national flag, have been torn from their country and from everything dear to them; have been dragged on board ships of war of a foreign nation and exposed, under the severities of their discipline, to be exiled to the most distant and deadly climes, to risk their lives in the battles of their oppressors, and to be the melancholy instruments of taking away those of their own …show more content…
However, the combination of impressment, political pressure from the War Hawks, and trade restrictions played a more significant role than other causes. These are causes traditionally and officially cited as the reasons for the war. Prior to the conflitct, Madison may have had to generate support to secure a declaration through highlighting the atrocities of the British to relieve both political and economic pressure. Though historians often claim that there must have been some other reason behind it, it makes little sense for those involved to have fabricated a false justification for a struggle in which nobody undoubtedly benefitted from. While many circumstances have, and will be continued to be considered and debated, transatlantic trade disputes and issues of domestic politics, though rather narrow minded have potential to explain the reasons for which we entered into such a peculiar