War of 1812 Events

The war of 1812 was caused by a series of events that angered both sides. Each side had goals they wanted to complete. The British wanted to stop Napoleon’s invasion into Britain. America took advantage of it, and started selling things and helping both sides. This just made the British angrier at America.

The British didn’t like the Americans supplying their enemies. Their naval ship, the HMS Leopard, attacked an American merchant ship, USS Chesapeake. They also raided it and stole some supplies. They also forced some of the crew to fight for them. This was another reason to go to war for the Americans.

The British navy also started capturing ships. They needed more men to fight the war at sea. The British officers made the sailors and crew of the captured ships fight for the Crown against their own will. This action was called impressment. It was a violation of their rights. These also angered the American people, and made them more concerned about their merchants’ safety.

The destruction of the USS Chesapeake by the HMS Leopard is called the Chesapeake-Leopard affair. This affair, and British impressment, caused an embargo on France and Britain. This meant no trade with both sides. They viewed it as economic warfare. British merchants were furious with the decrease in American goods. Meanwhile, their trade with Canada skyrocketed. Without American products, both sides were weakened.

America wanted to get Britain out of America, as well as expand their own nation. They decided to invade Canada, because of its land and resources. The attacks were focused on what is now Ontario and Quebec. Their