In the early 1800s, Britain and France were at war with each other, but the United States remained neutral, refusing to take sides. U.S. merchant ships continued to trade with both of the warring countries, but neither Britain nor France would allow them to do so without risk. If either side caught American ships trading with the enemy, they would seize the ships and the sailors on board. After enduring years of this treatment, the United States decided to go to war to gain some international respect.

Since the mid-1790s, the United States had struggled to defend its freedom of the seas through diplomatic means, primarily treaty negotiations with Britain and France. Freedom to pursue international trade was crucial for farmers to ship produce to overseas markets and for merchants to import manufactured goods from Europe. The nation did not yet have...