America's "forgotten war" was anything but inevitable. This groundbreaking study details how a series of diplomatic failures, unresolved grievances, and political miscalculations transformed manageable international disputes into an unavoidable crisis that would define a young nation's place in the world. Drawing from previously underutilized archives at the Library of Congress, National Archives, and British National Archives at Kew, this comprehensive examination reveals the intricate web of factors that propelled America toward its second conflict with Britain. From the unfinished business of the Revolutionary War to British impressment of American sailors, from failed economic coercion to generational shifts in political leadership, each thread in this complex tapestry is meticulously analyzed. Unlike traditional military histories focused on battles and campaigns, the present work explores the diplomatic miscommunications and missed opportunities that made conflict seem inescapable. This timely work fills a critical thirty-year gap in War of 1812 historiography, offering fresh perspectives and newly discovered sources that illuminate how domestic political pressures and fundamental disagreements about America's international role created an irresistible momentum toward war.