DBQ Essay: The War Of 1812

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Throughout history the United States had confrontations to gain independence from Great Britain. Twenty nine years after the United States fought the British in the ‘American Revolution’, the United States declared war against them in 1812; known as ‘The War of 1812.’ From 1789 to 1799, there was a war in France between the French and British known as the ‘French Revolution’. In 1793 George Washington issued his foreign policy, the Proclamation of Neutrality, which stated that we shall remain neutral from foreign affairs. Under Jefferson’s presidency, Jefferson tried to follow Washington’s foreign policy, but the British and the French violated America’s trading rights. They stopped American ships to seize their cargo and took American soldiers…show more content…
According to Document 1, Great Britain ignored our complaints and continued to impress our traders, violating our rights to use the ocean for transporting products. The ocean which was acknowledged for transporting goods, this was available for nations to trade between foreign countries. This right was violated when Great Britain impressed our seamen. From Document 2, it is apparent from Congressman John C. Calhoun, a Democratic Republican member of the House of Representatives, that America should defend the citizens who are overseas to do business. On December 12, 1811, Calhoun said that America should defend our maritime rights and personal liberties of the citizens and not doing so is unpatriotic. On the same day, six months before the war, he stated that to make our nation stronger, we need to protect every citizen and when their rights are attacked, war is the only means of redress. In July 1812, Congressman Hugh Nelson of Virginia wrote a letter explaining why he agreed to declare war. He agreed that the people of the United States are one and indivisible and our rights are to be protected by the government against foreign aggression. It was important to maintain the interest of American citizens to strengthen our country and unites us as one. He agreed that we should go to war for the
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