Read Closer

Read Closer

President James Madison made this declaration before Congress to emphasize the injustice of Great Britain’s impressment of American sailors. Their forced capture and service in the Royal Navy was a major factor in the War of 1812, the second war between the United States and Britain. Lawrence excerpted Madison’s justifiable pretext for war as this panels title caption.

Excerpt from James Madison, “President James Madison’s war message, June 1, 1812,” U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration

In place of such a trial, these rights are subjected to the will of every petty commander. The practice, hence, is so far from affecting British subjects alone, that under the pretext of searching for these, thousands of American Citizens, under the safeguard of public law, and of their national flag, have been torn from their country, and from every thing dear to them; have been dragged on board ships of war of a foreign nation; and exposed, under the siverities of their discipline, to be exiled to the most distant and deadly climes, to risk their lives in the battles of their oppressors, and to be the melancholy instruments of taking away those of their own brethren.