What is the significance of the War Hawks of 1812?

They were the Americans who wanted to go to war against Great Britain and they actually argued for that as early as 1809. They managed to force President Madison to declare war in June of 1812, just after most of the threat to GB from Napoleon was over. read more

The War of 1812 dashed American politicians' hopes of taking Canada from Britain, something the"War Hawks" who pushed for war felt was, as Thomas Jefferson put it,"merely a matter of marching". The previous American attempt to invade and annex Canada, in 1775, had been a disaster, and history was about to repeat itself. read more

They were further indignant over British encouragement of Indian hostilities toward settlers in the Northwest and hoped to use war with England to wrest Florida from Spain, Britain’s ally. The nationalistic fervour and anti-British sentiment whipped up by the War Hawks was a contributing cause to the War of 1812. read more