Causes of the War of 1812: 1) War Hawks 2) impressments 3) Napoleon 4) over confidence 5) no respect 6) alliances 7) cotton sellers 85) Ohio Valley 6) weapons 7) naval blockade  Memory Trick: WINONA COWN 

1)        The politically powerful American group known as the ‘War Hawks” advocated the American congress for war against Britain. 2)        In order to regain sailors, British ships boarded and ‘impressed’ or captured sailors from American ships to serve on British ships. 3)        The British were busy fighting a war with Napoleon in France, so Canada was vulnerable. 4)        America allied with France. 5)        Americans expanded into the Ohio Valley and disrupted native villages.  The Natives allied with the British in many cases. 6)        The British sold or traded weapons with the Natives. 7)           Although it had declared independence in 1776, England did not respect America’s sovereignty or independence. (America had declared bankruptcy twice before 1812.) 8)        Some, like Jefferson and Madison,  thought that a war with Canada would be a ‘mere matter of marching’ and Canada would easily fall. This  was overconfidence. 9)        The British formed a naval blockade, so American ships could not trade with France. This hurt businesses and trade.10)      Southern planters could not sell cotton or tobacco to Britain because there was an embargo or ban placed on American products.