While there were certainly any number of American greivances against Britain leading up to this war, the simple and plain truth is that the US declared war upon Britain with the idea of not only resolving these greivances by means of force but also of seizing Canada. The declaration of war had the effect of allying us with Napoleonic France, with whom we had similar grievances which were lessened only because we had purchased Louisana from France 9 years earlier and France did not have as strong a Navy to harrass the free movement US shipping as did Britain.
Britain certainly did not attack us in 1812 to start the war.
The US has been attacked by another sovereign nation a grand total of 1 time to force the commencement of open hostilities - Pearl Harbor. Every other war the US has involved itself in has relied on the US commencing armed hostilities.
I realize that the U.S. declared war on Britain, largely over the issue of the impressment of Americans into service on British ships, but what I was getting at is after the British burned down Congress, would Ron Paul even have allowed us to fight back then?