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The War of 1812 proved to be the one of the most serious challenge to face the United States. This ‘Second war of Independence’ changed American history. This essay will discuss the causes for this war assessing whether there actually were valid reasons for the United States and Britain going to war or whether the whole 1812 war was pointless aggression. The war of 1812 was a very unnecessary war. It broke out just as one of its chief causes (The Orders in Council) was removed and its greatest battle (New Orleans) was fought just after peace was signed. The war was unnecessary from a British point of view but for the Americans it was inescapable. The Royal Navy had kidnapped 3,800 American sailors and pressed them into service. On the frontier it was believed that Indian restlessness war stirred up by British agents although really American oppression has to be seen as a big cause of this too. America’s war with Britain seemed inevitable a