Setting the Stage for War There were many events that led up to the War of 1812 between the newly formed United States and Great Britain. Independence and Expansion The United States had won its independence from Britain in the Revolutionary War, but the British had never left the continent. Many Americans wanted to rid themselves of the British presence, fearing that they would never be truly independent from Britain while the British were still there. Many Americans wanted to expand beyond the borders they had won with their independence. But the British still occupied Canada beyond the borders to the north. Also, many Americans blamed Indian uprisings in the northwestern territories on the British, believing that these uprisings were started and supported by the British.

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