The War of 1812 was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. In the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country's future. Causes of the war included British attempts to restrict U.S. trade, the Royal Navy's impressment of American seamen and America's desire to expand its territory. As a colony of Great Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded a number of times by the Americans. The process of naming the War of 1812 for its year of commencement, even though it lasted into 1814, developed slowly through the 19th century.
DBQ: Was the War of 1812 Necessary?
8th grade U.S. History