The Spark of 1812

James Madison was President during the War of 1812, thankfully he had much experience with Britain and France. Plus, he had been intertwined in governmental issues before, his experience in this was a beneficial asset in the War. When Madison declared war upon Britain he cited four reasons: the first being that the Colonists objected to the British guard ships, that prevented the U.S. from trading with France. The second reason was that Madison objected to the impressment of American sailors captured under British rule. Third, the British refused to turn over forts near the Great Lakes, which was one of the conditions of the Treaty of Paris. Also the government suspected that these British forts were assisting the Native Americans in the Battle against the American Colonies. Fourth, the British wanted to acquire Canada, too close for comfort for the U.S. These four reasons led to the spark of the War of 1812.