In 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain. Since the 1790s, American leaders tried to avoid getting involved in wars between France and Britain. George Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality which meant that the United States would not choose sides between France and Britain. In 1800, John Adams agreed to the Convention of 1800. This ended the alliance America formed with France during the American Revolution, which threatened to draw America into Europe’s wars. The next president, Thomas Jefferson, continued to steer clear of war with France and Britain. But when Europe violated American trading rights – Britain destroying American ships, seizing cargoes, and kidnapping sailors – Jefferson enacted the Embargo Act on American trading. This prevented trading with foreign nations, but failed to force Europe to respect our rights and put many merchants, shippers, and sailors out of work, which severely affected our economy. When James Madison became president, the United States continued to deal with the problem of impressment. This along with many other forces led Americans to declare war on Britain in 1812. The other issues leading up to the war were the political party of President Madison and the United States’ desire for expansionism.…