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The Americans thought that the British would be busy fighting the French during the Napoleonic Wars to do much in North America.įurther information: Napoleonic Wars The war įighting began when the United States started to attack the Canadian provinces in 1812. Napoleon I started the French invasion of Russia in 1812, just as the war started in North America. That made 10,000 Native Americans fight for the British.

The British were also sponsoring Native American territories in the Midwest to stop the United States from expanding westward. The numbers of American seamen pressed into British service is not well known and may have been greatly exaggerated.

The British were also seizing American sailors at sea and forcing them to serve in the navy. In 1807, an American ship was boarded and then fired on, which created outrage among the American public. Many British sailors who escaped signed on as crew aboard American merchant ships. It was the practice of the British to arrest any man they found on a street and to force him to serve on their ships. Originally, many of the sailors had been pressed into service. Miserable conditions and the harsh discipline. The British claimed to be looking for British sailors who had deserted. One reason given by Americans for declaring war was that the British were bothering American ships. The war increased nationalism in both Canada and the United States. In nearly every battle, the British defeated the attacking American forces. The British forces were helped by Canadian militia (volunteers) and Native Americans because British soldiers were busy fighting Napoleon I in Europe. The War of 1812 was fought between the British Empire and the United States from 1812 to 1815 on land in North America and at sea.

War of 1812 american sea outfit war of 1812 american navy outfit