Final answer:
Henry Clay was a War Hawk who advocated for war against Great Britain, not Spain, in 1812. The War Hawks were motivated by British interference with American shipping and support of Native American resistance, ultimately leading to the War of 1812.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Henry Clay was a leading "war hawk" who demanded war against Spain in 1812 is false. In fact, Henry Clay was one of the most vocal 'War Hawks' who championed the cause for war against Great Britain in 1812, not Spain.
The War Hawks were a group of young congressmen from the South and the West who were fed up with the British interference with American shipping and their support of Native American resistance against American expansion. As a result of British provocations and pressures at home, President James Madison called for a declaration of war on June 1, 1812, which Congress later approved, leading to the outbreak of the War of 1812.