Why did the War of 1812 occur?

There were several reasons why the War of 1812 occurred. One important reason was the concern that the British were interfering with our trade. As a neutral nation, we had the right to trade with other countries. However, Great Britain was locked in a conflict with France.  Great Britain didn’t want the French to receive products from the United States. As a result, Great Britain was seizing our ships and impressing our sailors. When Great Britain refused to stop interfering with our trade and impressing our sailors, some Americans began to advocate for going to war against Great Britain.

Some westerners also believed the British were encouraging the Native Americans to attack us. Some young people, known as the War Hawks, got elected to the United States Senate in 1810, and they supported going to war against Great Britain. They were concerned that Great Britain was encouraging these attacks by the Native Americans.

As a result of these reasons, the United States went to war against Great Britain in 1812.