What was the primary cause of the War of 1812?

The primary cause of the War of 1812 was the trade restrictions imposed by Britain and the impressment of American sailors into the British Navy. These actions were seen as violations of American sovereignty and rights. The British enforced trade restrictions to weaken France during the Napoleonic Wars, which severely impacted American shipping and trade. Additionally, the British practice of impressment, where American sailors were forcibly taken and enlisted into the British Navy, further inflamed tensions between the United States and Britain.

This combination of economic pressure and violation of personal liberties galvanized public sentiment in favor of war. The desire for territorial expansion, disputes over Native American territories, and the impact of foreign privateers were all significant factors in the broader context of tension at the time, but they did not primarily drive the U.S. toward war in the same way that the issues of trade and impressment did. Thus, the focus on the restrictions on trade and the impressment of sailors encapsulates the central grievances that led to the outbreak of the War of 1812.