After becoming independent from Britain, America had to fend for itself without any assistance. A primary issue that the Americans would face in their new freedom would be defending themselves from older, bigger countries. These countries had resources, militaries, and navies that were much more vast and impressive in comparison to those of the Americans. Of these countries, the biggest threat to the Americas were Britain. Britain took many steps to thwart the Americas such as suppressing American trade and using the act of impressment on American ships. Because of these things, the Americans eventually felt the need to declare war, which led to the War of 1812. This war was very important, as it had …show more content…
They transferred goods such as coffee and sugar from French ports, and they ended up driving down the price of British goods. Therefore, British passed a doctrine that allowed them to seize any neutral ship that was carrying French cargo. However, this placed the Americans in a complicated situation. If the Americans were to comply with the British regulations on trade, they would have to face the French. However, if the Americans complied with the French regulations, they would have to face the British. Therefore, the Americans became very angry with the British. The doctrine that had been passed essentially nullified all American trade, and this was a key factor in creating the war. Another thing that led to the war of 1812 was the British practicing the act of impressment. The British practiced this by overtaking American ships, looting it of all its contents, and then forcing the men upon those ships to join the royal navy. Eventually, the British had captured more than 1,000 American ships and made a massive dent in the size of America’s navy. This practice angered many Americans. Groups such as the War Hawks were tired of the constant disrespect to their country, and many demanded that war be