Crossed Signals Lead to War
If the United States ever entered into a war that could have been prevented, it was the War of 1812. While the lure of land in Florida and Canada was the driving force behind the war hawks, the excuse put forth was “impressment and the rights of a neutral nation to free trade.” These slogans were a result of England and France being locked in a death struggle.
Each country had blockaded the other, and the British Navy was “impressing” Americans to serve on its ships. These rules of economic warfare became known as “Orders in Council.” For years, America had fought back against the practice by limiting sales and purchases from Great Britain, but in the spring of 1812, the war hawks beat the drum of patriotism. Military historian Robert Lackie explained.
“Ironically, American boycott of Britain had also produced economic distress in England. Receipts of American food crops had fallen to a trickle, exports to America had dried up, and the harsh winter of 1811-12 was made more unbearable by the failure of English crops. Starved and jobless English workmen began to riot while merchants and manufacturers beseeched the government to rescind the Orders in Council and reopen American trade.
“It took that event unique in British history – the assassination of a prime minister, Spencer Perceval – to place in power a ministry willing to make the change. On June 16, 1812, London announced that the Orders in Council had been suspended.”
The irony was it was too late. Two days later, before the news arrived in the United States, the Senate voted 19 to 13 to make the declaration of war official. The confusion of the times can be seen in the British Gentleman’s Magazine of July 1812, describing the action of New Jersey’s governor, Joseph Bloomfield.
“Intelligence has been received by a pilot-boat arrived at Liverpool, that the American senate had determined on war with this country by a majority of six; the pilot-boat left New York the 23d ult; previous to her departure, an express had been received at that place by Gen. Bloomfield, which he read at the head of his whole army, formally announcing that war against Great Britain had been declared by the United States. Whether these measures received the final sanction of the American government previous to the arrival of the intelligence of the death of Mr. Perceval, and the revocation of the Orders in Council, is not yet known.”
It would be the end of July before news of the repeal reached America, and events had already taken place. The secretary of the Navy sent orders to his top commanders on May 21.
“As war appears now inevitable, I request you state to me, a plan of operations, which, in your judgment, will enable our little navy to annoy in the utmost extent, the trade of Gt Britain while it least exposes it to the immense naval force of that government. State also, the Ports of the US which you think safest as asylums for our Navy, in time of war.”
An antiwar movement had already been dividing the country. As Congress debated, the citizens of Boston formed a committee.
“While the temper and views of the national administration are intent upon war, an expression of the sense of this Town, will, of itself, be quite ineffectual, either to avert this deplorable calamity, or to accelerate a return of peace. But believing, as we do, that an immense majority of the people are invincibly averse from a conflict equally unnecessary and menacing ruin to themselves and their posterity; convinced, as we are, that the event will overwhelm them with astonishment and dismay, we cannot but trust that a general expression of the voice of the people would satisfy Congress that those of their Representatives who have voted in favor of war, have not truly represented the wishes of their constituents; and thus arrest the tendency of their measures to this extremity.”
Finally, Boston, the hot bed of the American Revolution declared, “Therefore Resolved, That under existing circumstances, the inhabitants of this Town most sincerely deprecate a war with Great Britain as extremely injurious to the interests and happiness of the people, and peculiarly so, as it necessarily tends to an alliance with France, thereby threatening the subversion of their liberties and independence. That an offensive war against Great Britain alone would be manifestly unjust; and that a war against both the belligerent powers would be an extravagant undertaking, which is not required by the honour or interest of the nation.”
The 34 members of the House of Representatives who opposed the war published, “The undersigned cannot refrain from asking, what are the United States to gain by this war? Will the gratification of some privateersmen compensate the nation for that sweep of our legitimate commerce by the extended marine of our enemy which this desperate act invites? Will Canada compensate the Middle states for New York; or the Western states for New Orleans?
“Let us not be deceived. A war of invasion may invite a retort of invasion. When we visit the peaceable, and as to us innocent, colonies of Great Britain with the horrors of war, can we be assured that our own coast will not be visited with like horrors? At a crisis of the world such as the present, and under impressions such as these, the undersigned could not consider the war, in which the United States have in secret been precipitated, as necessary or required by any moral duty, or any political expediency.”
There were those who supported the war. The logbook of the USS Constitution, then at Annapolis, Md., recorded, “JUNE 20. (1812) At 5 P. M. the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Read, had the crew turned up, and read to them the declaration of war between the United States and the United Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland, that had passed the Senate and authorizing the president James Madison to employ the Armies and navy of the United States against the above written powers. The Crew manifested their Zeal in Support of the Honor of the United States Flagg by requesting of leave to Cheer on the occasion (granted them). Crew returned to their duty, light airs from the Southward and Eastward.”
Supporters of President James Madison and the war held a rally in Trenton on July 10 and sent their own letter to him.
“Sir – Believing it would be pleasing to you, at this crisis to be acquainted with sentiments and views of your constituents in every part of the Union, the convention of Republican delegates from the several counties of the state of New Jersey take the liberty of addressing you on behalf of their constituents and themselves.
“They have seen with approbation the long continued and often repeated efforts of the government of the United States to preserve to the country the blessings of peace, and at the same time to maintain the honor and independence of the nation. Negotiation has at length been abandoned as hopeless; Resistance has been commenced as the last resort.”
Finally, Madison’s New Jersey supporters promised, “On behalf of the republican citizens of this state, and of ourselves, we, therefore, sir, assure you, we are now as much in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war until our wrongs are redressed and our rights respected, as we have heretofore been of the preservation of peace, while it could be maintained without a surrender of our rights and interests. And we are fully of opinion that the confidence of the friends of government in New Jersey will be increased rather than diminished, by the measures adopted by the general government for the support of our unquestionable inalienable rights.”
As the loyal citizens met in Trenton, the ship carrying word that the grievances had been in fact redressed was still in mid-Atlantic. Closer to the Jersey Shore, British and American warships had met, and once the bullets started flying, there would be no turning back.
Next Week: Who fired the first shot?