What was the quasi-war, the barbary war, or the war of 1812 the more dangerous conflict for the new american nation?
Answers
Having won its independence in 1783, the United States soon found itself a minor power without the protection of the British flag. With the security of the Royal Navy removed, American shipping soon began falling prey to privateers from Revolutionary France and the Barbary pirates. These threats were met during the undeclared Quasi-War with France (1798-1800) and First Barbary War (1801-1805). Despite success in these minor conflicts, American merchant ships continued to be harassed by both the British and the French. Engaged in a life-or-death struggle in Europe the two nations actively sought to prevent the Americans from trading with their enemy. In addition, as it depended upon the Royal Navy for military success, the British followed a policy of impressment to meet its growing manpower needs. This saw British warships stop American merchant vessels at sea and remove American sailors from their ships for service in the fleet. Though angered by the actions of Britain and France, the United States lacked the military power to halt these transgressions.
The Royal Navy & Impressment
The largest navy in the world, the Royal Navy was actively campaigning in Europe by blockading French ports as well as maintaining a military presence across the vast British Empire. This saw the size of the fleet grow to over 170 ships of the line and required in excess of 140,000 men. While volunteer enlistments generally met the service's manpower needs during peacetime, the expansion of the fleet during times of conflict required the employment of other methods to sufficiently crew its vessels. To provide enough sailors, the Royal Navy was permitted a follow a policy of impressment which allowed it to draft into immediate service any able-bodied, male British subject. Often captains would send "press gangs" to round up recruits from pubs and brothels in British ports or from British merchant ships. The long arm of impressment also reached onto the decks of neutral commercial vessels, including those of the United States. British warships made a frequent habit of stopping neutral shipping to inspect crew lists and remove British sailors for military service.
Though the law required impressed recruits to be British citizens, this status was loosely interpreted. Many American sailors had been born in Britain and became naturalized American citizens. Despite possession of citizenship certificates, this naturalized status was often not recognized by the British and many American sailors were seized under the simple criterion of "Once an Englishman, always an Englishman." Between 1803 and 1812, approximately 5,000-9,000 American sailors were forced into the Royal Navy with as many as three-quarters being legitimate American citizens. Heightening the tensions was the practice of the Royal Navy stationing vessels off American ports with orders to search ships for contraband and men who could be impressed. These searches frequently took place in American territorial waters. Though the American government repeatedly protested the practice, British Foreign Secretary Lord Harrowby contemptuously wrote in 1804, "The pretention advanced by Mr. [Secretary of State James] Madison that the American flag should protect every individual on board of a merchant ship is too extravagant to require any serious refutation."