...the arrogance of the British Empire -- press ganging the crews of American merchant vessels
That made good PR from the War Hawks to get support for the invasion of Canada, but it was hardly the reason for the war.
Probably the most significant single factor that led to the events that brought about the war was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. What American history views as simply a real estate deal, was in fact a major contribution to Bonaparte's ability to wage war in Europe. Bonaparte was rather sly, knowing that it was easier to acquire new world territories by conquering the empires that controlled them. Between Spain and Portugal, he could have gotten far more DEVELOPED territory than he sold off.
Much of the $15 million paid to France was in the form of notes of credit, which were turned in to pay for materials used to wage war. The American merchant vessels were supplying France with the means to wage war on the British. That alone would make them a fair target, I would think. Nobody argues the right today of stopping the North Korean shipments of missiles to Saddam's Iraq.
Furthermore, there really WERE British deserters serving aboard American merchant vessels. The British may not have been very particular about verifying the details of those that they picked off of the American vessels, but it was pretty hard to verify such things at a time when many people weren't even sure when they were born, or carried documentation. they couldn't very well check the Social Security cards or driver's license.
The point is, the Americans were supposedly neutral in the European conflict, but were supplying the enemies of the Allies. The British had every right to intercept American shipping going to France.
The invasion of Canada was mostly just an opportunistic land grab, done at a time when the British lion was occupied in Europe. It wasn't the first time that the Americans picked their time that way, the war of American independence also coincided with a hot period in Britain's seemingly interminable wars with France. I doubt that the Americans would have been crazy enough to confront the British empire during those brief periods when their full resources were unoccupied.
Even distracted as they were, the British were formidable in British North America. They knew the value of rapid lines of communication, which enabled them to take the American fort at Michilimackinac bloodlessly, simply because the Americans there had no idea that their government had declared war.
Britain had some superb commanders, Brock was a strategic genius, Tecumseh the same tactically. If Brock had not foolishly sought fame in a glorious, suicidal charge at Queenston Heights the war would have ended much earlier. As it was, his replacements were incompetent fools and cowards. The British had some of those, too.
In all, it was an interesting stage of history. It is also interesting how history gets rewritten to suit whoever happens to write about it. An example is the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which states:
"With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere."
They seemed to have a rather short memory. :)
-rcv-
That made good PR from the War Hawks to get support for the invasion of Canada, but it was hardly the reason for the war.
Probably the most significant single factor that led to the events that brought about the war was the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. What American history views as simply a real estate deal, was in fact a major contribution to Bonaparte's ability to wage war in Europe. Bonaparte was rather sly, knowing that it was easier to acquire new world territories by conquering the empires that controlled them. Between Spain and Portugal, he could have gotten far more DEVELOPED territory than he sold off.
Much of the $15 million paid to France was in the form of notes of credit, which were turned in to pay for materials used to wage war. The American merchant vessels were supplying France with the means to wage war on the British. That alone would make them a fair target, I would think. Nobody argues the right today of stopping the North Korean shipments of missiles to Saddam's Iraq.
Furthermore, there really WERE British deserters serving aboard American merchant vessels. The British may not have been very particular about verifying the details of those that they picked off of the American vessels, but it was pretty hard to verify such things at a time when many people weren't even sure when they were born, or carried documentation. they couldn't very well check the Social Security cards or driver's license.
The point is, the Americans were supposedly neutral in the European conflict, but were supplying the enemies of the Allies. The British had every right to intercept American shipping going to France.
The invasion of Canada was mostly just an opportunistic land grab, done at a time when the British lion was occupied in Europe. It wasn't the first time that the Americans picked their time that way, the war of American independence also coincided with a hot period in Britain's seemingly interminable wars with France. I doubt that the Americans would have been crazy enough to confront the British empire during those brief periods when their full resources were unoccupied.
Even distracted as they were, the British were formidable in British North America. They knew the value of rapid lines of communication, which enabled them to take the American fort at Michilimackinac bloodlessly, simply because the Americans there had no idea that their government had declared war.
Britain had some superb commanders, Brock was a strategic genius, Tecumseh the same tactically. If Brock had not foolishly sought fame in a glorious, suicidal charge at Queenston Heights the war would have ended much earlier. As it was, his replacements were incompetent fools and cowards. The British had some of those, too.
In all, it was an interesting stage of history. It is also interesting how history gets rewritten to suit whoever happens to write about it. An example is the Monroe Doctrine of 1823, which states:
"With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere."
They seemed to have a rather short memory. :)
-rcv-