Snap Debate Reflection

Today, we had a debate on what was the main cause of the War of !812; impressment, the Chesapeake Affair, Orders in Court, or incitement of Native Americans. At the beginning and end of the debate, I thought that impressment was the main factor. Impressment was when the British pressed Americans into service for the British navy. They still saw the Americans as British citizens, even after they declared citizenship. Most of the impressed people were American, not British. This angered the Americans, especially since the British considered it perfectly legal. I think the debate was a good idea. It allowed us as students to have a more interactive learning experience and it challenged our assumptions from the beginning of class..