The War Hawks were men like Henry Clay and John Calhoun of Kentucky and Langdon Cheves of South Carolina who stood to speak in Congress in favour or war with England. Along with Felix Grundy these men beat the drums of war until the United States declared war on Great Britain.

It should be noted that many of the American people were not in favour of war, almost all of New England in fact.

John Randolph of Virginia and federalist Josiah Quincy did not believe the War Hawks cause was just.