Why did the Southern states support military action against Great Britain in contrast to the Northern opposition in the War of 1812? Who were two influential Southerners of the time?

The United States was very much divided over whether or not to go to war with Great Britain in 1812. People in the Northern states were, in general, opposed to military conflict. The economy in the Northeast depended greatly on transatlantic trade. The idea of going to war with Great Britain, and consequently cutting off that major market for American goods, seemed like it would spell economic disaster for the region. The opposition to the war was led by the Federalists, who repeatedly tried to keep the country out of the conflict. This turned out to be a disastrous political gamble for them. They were painted as unpatriotic and defeatist by their opponents, and the party crumbled after the war.

People in the Southern states, on the other hand, very much supported going to war. They were less concerned about the economic implications for Northerners. To them, the very honor of the country was on the line. They felt that Great Britain was violating the sovereignty of the United States with its various aggressive actions and that Americans should stand up to them.

These Southern "War Hawks" were led by South Carolina representative John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay of Kentucky. These two Southern members of Congress gathered a large and vocal coalition of politicians to call for military action. Calhoun and Clay, along with other like-minded politicians like Daniel Webster, drafted several important documents advocating for war. They made speeches and wrote pamphlets aimed at drumming up both popular and political support for military action. Their efforts proved successful when the United States declared war on Great Britain on June 18, 1812.

Why did Southern states support military action against Britain in the War of 1812, and who were the two most influential Southerners?

Not even three decades had passed since the end of the Revolutionary War when the US once again found itself in conflict with Great Britain. Britain and France had long been in conflict with each other, and both sides tried to prevent US trade with the other. Britain even tried to make the US obtain a license to trade with France, and of course, this didn't sit will with independent Americans. Further, Britain had a rather nasty habit of stopping American ships and impressing sailors on them for service in the British navy. Obviously this could not be tolerated.

Yet there was a split among Americans about whether the US should declare war on Great Britain. The South and much of the West were all for it. The nation's honor was at stake, and Britain's acts of control and aggression could not be tolerated. Northerners, however, were not so sure. They depended on trade with Britain in a much greater way than the South and West, and they knew that war would seriously disrupt commerce.

Congress' "War Hawks," however, put pressure on president James Madison. Let by Southerners Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, the War Hawks agitated for war based on Britain's violations as well as its support of the Native Americans against US expansion. On June 18, 1812, Madison signed the declaration of war, and the US and Britain officially entered into the War of 1812.