An infographic titled The War of 1812 lists information about the causes, the first declaration, and the combatants’ preparedness for war.
A chart with information about the War of 1812 is divided into three sections. Section 1 contains the causes for the war: British interfere with American shipping; British kidnap American sailors; Americans believe British are persuading Native Americans to fight settlers; some members of Congress (War Hawks) want U.S. expansion into Canada. Section 2 states that Congress is divided over the first declaration of war: 62% of the House is in favor, and 38% is opposed; 59% of the Senate is in favor, and 41% is opposed. Section 3 compares the United States and Britain’s preparedness for the War of 1812. The United States had 12,000 troops, 6 warships, 4,000 sailors, and 1,800 marines. Britain had 10,000 British and Canadian troops, 584 warships of which only 2 were available, 140,000 sailors worldwide, and 31,000 marines.
Question
Based on the information in the chart, why might Congress have been divided about declaring war on Britain?
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Responses
Members of Congress did not believe the American military could compete with the British military.
Members of Congress did not believe the American military could compete with the British military.
The War Hawks had more supporters in the House of Representatives than in the Senate.
The War Hawks had more supporters in the House of Representatives than in the Senate.
Southern representatives were less concerned about British interference in American shipping.
Southern representatives were less concerned about British interference in American shipping.
Some representatives were not convinced that the rumors about the Native American attacks were true.
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Based on the information in the chart, the most reasonable response to why Congress might have been divided about declaring war on Britain is:
Members of Congress did not believe the American military could compete with the British military.
This reflects the significant difference in preparedness between the two nations, with Britain having a much larger naval presence and more troops available overall compared to the United States.
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