document record
1 June 1812 · Presidential message
Madison’s War Message
Formal statement of grievances to Congress
Madison presented impressment, interference with commerce, violations of American waters, and British connections to frontier violence as evidence of a state of war.
Why this record matters
Reading the message prevents later single-cause explanations from replacing the administration’s actual public case.
Follow the evidence
Evidence behind this record
- War of 1812: A Resource GuideLibrary of Congress · research guide
Primary documents, maps, newspapers, prints, and manuscript collections.
- War of 1812 DeclarationU.S. House of Representatives · primary document guide
The declaration and congressional context.