Getting into War

American leaders who advocated war spoke of the need to protect the United States’ sovereignty, economy, and territory from British aggression. These “war hawks” hoped to compel Britain to end three policies that threatened the United States.

• Britain maintained relationships with Native Americans who resisted American westward expansion.
• British regulations attempted to control American trade with Europe, as part of Britain’s war against Napoleonic France.
• The Royal Navy boarded American ships to search for British subjects who could be forced into British service.