The United States has been directly attacked by other nations...TWICE in its entire history.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

14. I wholeheartedly agree that we've seldom been attacked. But I wouldn't let the British off

by saying that "the British basically forced our hand."

Or that "they didn't directly attack the US to begin with."

Under maritime law known to the British long before this country was founded, when ships sail in open waters under the protection of a country's flag, an attack by another country's Navy is an act of war. As known to the British in 1812, when American ships sailed under the protection of the American flag in open waters, attacks by the British Navy upon those ships were attacks upon the United States.

What was left for Madison to do? Send a note and say please don't do that? Wait until the British seized a port to take even more Americans for England's war against Bonaparte? The leaders of any other country who would have had their ships attacked while flying their flags would have considered England's actions to be a direct attack. Madison considered it to be a direct attack upon the United States. Why shouldn't we?