Pretty much all of these were adequate reasons to go to war. The predicament was that the Navy and the United States Army were simply not up to the task of taking part in conflict with the British. At the beginning of 1812, the US Army had only around 4,000 men and officers. Simultaneously, the Navy comprised of seven brigs, five frigates, and three sloops. In January 1812, Congress approved the expansion of the US Army to 30,000 men and officers, but that wasn’t enough. Congress then additionally approved 30,000 one-year volunteers. War was most definitely drawing closer and closer as time went on. However, there was an apparent lack of eagerness simply because no one really wanted to go to war. Who to go to war with was yet another question. President Madison sent out a letter to Congress summarizing the fact that ever since November 1807, the British had seized 389
Pretty much all of these were adequate reasons to go to war. The predicament was that the Navy and the United States Army were simply not up to the task of taking part in conflict with the British. At the beginning of 1812, the US Army had only around 4,000 men and officers. Simultaneously, the Navy comprised of seven brigs, five frigates, and three sloops. In January 1812, Congress approved the expansion of the US Army to 30,000 men and officers, but that wasn’t enough. Congress then additionally approved 30,000 one-year volunteers. War was most definitely drawing closer and closer as time went on. However, there was an apparent lack of eagerness simply because no one really wanted to go to war. Who to go to war with was yet another question. President Madison sent out a letter to Congress summarizing the fact that ever since November 1807, the British had seized 389