The primary reason that America went to war against Britain in 1812 Essay

The primary reason that America went to war against Britain in 1812 - Essay Example However, tensions still remained between the two nations. The primary reason as to why James Madison declared war against Britain can be associated with differences in the high seas. In his congressional speech, Madison stated that cruisers from Britain violated the American flag. Besides, he accused the British of seizing persons sailing under the American flag (Haberle, 2003). This, he argued, was against the law that governs the relationships between nations. To Madison, the actions of the cruisers seemed to favor the British while the Americans continued to suffer. Madison also purported that the British had violated the sovereignty of the United States. Therefore, he sought support from congress. Factors that led to the declaration of the war can be associated with the decision of the British to drag American citizens in warships. Madison claimed that this exposed Americans to significant dangers while in their own country. The actions of the British to use American subjects in their battles triggered Madison to declare war. The British did not respect America as a sovereign country. As such, the war had to be fought to end British control of the United States (Haberle,