Why did people from the North, South, and the West feel differently about going to war with Britain during the War of 1812?

1 Answer
Jun 29, 2016

There was no "west" but people from the south considered it a northern problem.

Explanation:

To explain the "no west" comment, in 1812 the American "west" only reached as far as the Mississippi River.

The northern states were heavily involved in international trade, having the ports and ship building yards. The men who sailed on those ships were likewise mostly from the north and were the ones being impressed into the British navy. The agrarian south's interests lay entirely in the production of tobacco, cotton, sugar, sorghum and a few other large cash crops. The commerce was mostly within America and they had little interest in shipping issues.