prior to the war of 1812, the british navy engaged in impressment, which meant that they

By contrast, the United States Navy was composed of eight frigates, 14 smaller sloops and brigs, and no ships of the line. However, the Royal Navy's American squadron based in Halifax, Nova Scotia numbered one small ship of the line, seven frigates, nine smaller sloops and brigs, and five schooners.

The Royal Navy still had 85 vessels in American waters, counting all North American and Caribbean waters. Most of these were involved in blockading the French navy and their allies and protecting British trade against French privateers. In 1812, Britain's Royal Navy was the world's largest with over 600 cruisers in commission and some smaller vessels. The tensions lead to the declaration of war June 18, 1812, by President James Madison. The ongoing impressment lead to the Little Belt affair in 1811, in which 11 British sailors died after a conflict with USS President.

This inflamed anti-British sentiment in the United States. This lead to incidents such as the Chesapeake–Leopard affair, in 1805, where the British removed four sailors from USS Chesapeake. Britain also pressed American merchant sailors into the British Navy because they needed to man large number of Navy ships for Britain’s wide ranging seafaring activities. The United States contested this as illegal under international law. Outside of The United States and Canada, it is a minor theater of the Napoleonic Wars.įrom the outbreak of Napoleonic War (1803-1814), Britain had enforced a naval blockade to choke off neutral trade to France. The War of The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, from June 1812 to February 1815.

Prior to the war of 1812, the british navy engaged in impressment, which meant that they