Trace the events that led up to the War of 1812 and be very specific in describing those events. Chapter 7 begins with background review of how (in the late 18th century) the young nation began to be concerned with education. Medicine, too, was beginning to actually define diseases and help heal people, and Americans were inventing technologies (like the cotton gin by Eli Whitney) including Whitney's machine "…to make each part of a gun according to an exact pattern" (192). In fact the development of Whitney's system of making weapons was important due to the fact that the U.S. was preparing for war with France; "Americans were deeply troubled by their lack of sufficient armaments for the expected hostilities" (192).

In 1789 Congress passed laws that gave preference to American ships in U.S. ports; moreover, between 1789 and 1810, the U.S. had "more ships and international commerce" than any other nation in the world (193). But according to Chapter 7, when Napoleon became "emperor" of France he set his sights on gaining power in the New World (specifically the lands that were west of the Mississippi).

A secret deal between Napoleon and the Spanish (Treaty of San Ildefonso of 1800) gave Napoleon Louisiana and New Orleans, but Jefferson wasn't aware there was trouble associated with that deal until the U.S. was not allowed to transfer cargoes from domestic ships to ocean-going vessels in New...

To solve that tense dilemma, Jefferson offered to buy the Louisiana territory and because he didn't have the means to take power in America at that time, Napoleon agreed to the purchase.
What were the events that directly led to war with Europe? For one, the Napoleonic Wars were taking place in Europe and both England and France attempted to block the U.S. from aiding the other through trade (205). For another, as the U.S. moved westward in its expansion, wars with Native American tribes ensued; several tribes united with "British forces in Canada and Spanish forces in Florida" to attack American forces and these tensions "…helped cause the War of 1812, an unpopular conflict with ambiguous results" (205). On the high seas, the British infuriated America by seizing U.S. vessels and taking alleged deserters from the British Navy off American ships. The Chesapeake-Leopard incident (the British Navy boarded the U.S. Frigate Chesapeake and seized four "alleged deserters" from the British Navy) contributed to the growing tensions between the U.S. And England. Meanwhile Jefferson angered Native Americans by issuing an ultimatum: become assimilated into the culture of European farmers or move west of the Mississippi (207).

TWO: What was the real reason the U.S. went to war with England when France was being provocative as well? Native Americans were angered when William Henry Harrison…