Throughout history, larger powers have bullied smaller, younger, and weaker states to test their resolve. For example, Sparta picked on Athens in ancient Greece, and Russia tested President Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis. This was the same case in America in 1812. England picked on America by taking her ships, impressing American sailors into the English army, and giving guns to the Indians. These actions blocked American citizens from enriching and expanding the young nation. In Washington’s farewell address, he tried to persuade future presidents to keep the United States in isolationism, defined as “ a policy of avoiding political or military agreements with other countries” (Hart 163). President Madison was justified in …show more content…
Finally, “He [President Madison] offered France and Britain a deal: If you agree to stop attacking American ships, the United States will stop trading with your enemy. Napoleon promptly agreed to Madison’s deal. At the same time, he gave his navy secret orders to continue seizing American ships” (Hart 168). With these envoys sent and deals attempted, all unsuccessful, it would have been unwise to continue on a same path that leads to nowhere. Therefore, Madison made the logical decision to change America’s tactics by declaring war on England in 1812.
Madison was faced with many ongoing problems such as the seizure and impressment of sailors, but also new dilemmas such as England giving the Indians guns. Madison’s decision to declare war on England was justified because it had the potential to fix all his problems at once. In the Battle of Tippecanoe against the Indians, “Harrison’s men found British guns on the battlefield”(Hart 169). Also, “England impressed more than one thousand Americans each year” (“Jefferson’s Embargo”). War would stop the Indians because British wouldn’t give them guns and would stop England from impressing Americans. These different attacks on the United States gave Madison the rationale to declare war. Furthermore, this war would also prove to have boosted the American pride.
Many people disagree that Madison was justified in declaring the War of 1812.
The war in Europe dominated James Madison's Presidency. The previous policy of the Embargo Act had failed, and Madison repealed it with the Non-Intercourse Act, which allowed trade with any country except the belligerents. When this became unenforceable, the Macon Bill, stating that the United could trade with any country agreeing to respect US neutrality, replaced it. Napoleon agreed to this stipulation, the British refused, so the United States began trading with France but not with Great Britain. This led to increased tension with the British, manifested both in the continued impressment of American sailors by the British and an increasingly hostile Indian population in the Northwest supposedly incited by the British.
Even though he tried peacefully to end the seizing and impressing, isolationism was not an option. As president, Madison had to decide what options he had next; he could have either keep trying to make a deal, and keep getting attacked, or he could have declared war to show that as a nation, we were willing to protect the security of our citizens. Additionally, as president he had duties to keep; he had to protect the people and he also had to demonstrate that we would stand up and fight if it was necessary. We would not give up easily.
Napoleon was able to deceive the U.S. into believing that he would resume trade with us, ultimately, he did not which caused the beginning of the War of 1812 between the UK and the US. Although plagued with opposing viewpoints towards the war, a severely outnumbered army, and no navy, the United States was able to end the war in a stalemate. Britain and the United States both signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 14, 1814, setting off a surge of nationalism during the Era of Good Feelings
Madison finally won the 1808 presidential election by a wide margin. He defeated Federalist Charles C. Pinckney and Independent Republican George Clinton, securing nearly 70 percent of the electoral votes. It was a remarkable victory, considering the poor public opinion of the Embargo Act of 1807. The United States declared war on Britain in June 1812 federalists nicknamed the war Mr. Madison’s
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Congress a few years later only to work for a short period as his health was
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