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Jefferson's Offer (Native)
President Thomas Jefferson appointed William Henry Harrison as governor of the Indiana Territory to manage his solution to the “Indian Problem”. Jefferson offered the Native Americans two solutions: assimilate with the white population and become farmers, or migrate west of Mississippi. Harrison successfully created treaties solving conflicts with many of the tribes, and American settlement east of the Appalachians grew rapidly. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Incident (British)
The British navy claimed the right to search American ships and seize deserters. They began impressing both Americans and British. In this incident, the British ship Leopard, fired upon the American ship Chesapeake after the Chesapeake refused to be searched, killing and wounding Americans sparking public outrage. -
The Embargo (British)
Congress passed a law prevented American ships from engaging in foreign trade to prevent conflicts with the French and British like the Chesapeake-Leopard from happening. This attempt to hurt the economics of France and Britain ultimately caused a major depression in America. -
Tecumseh’s Strategy (Native)
Shawnee chief Tecumseh began to unite all the Indians of the Mississippi Valley to try and make the Ohio River the border between the United States and Indian territory. Such united action from the Natives would serve as significant resistance from the Americans. Sporadic raids led by Tecumseh’s confederation were often supported by the British and would ultimately push the United States to declare war on Great Britain in 1812. -
Non-Intercourse Act (British)
This act reopened trade with all countries except Britain and France. -
Macon’s Bill No. 2 (British)
This reopened trade with the nation that recognized US ships neutrality first. France accepted this offer and resumed trading first. -
Battle of Tippecanoe (Native)
Tecumseh went to convince southern tribes of Mississippi to join the alliance. During his absence, Harrison attacked Prophetstown with an army of 1,000 soldiers, driving out Indians and burning the town. However, they lost an equal amount of men. Tecumseh returned to find the confederacy damaged, but many were still willing to continue the fight. In the spring of 1812, they were again raiding white settlements. -
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Contributing to The Panic of 1819 (British)
America experienced a post-war economic depression following the war of 1812 and the british contributed to it. Following the treaty of Ghent, British merchants came to america and dumped manufactured goods on the market. Many people claimed that this was “an attempt to destroy local competition”. There was a widespread of unemployment throughout America as a result. -
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The Creek War (Native)
This war pitted two factions of the Creek tribe in the Mississippi territory against each other. Americans were fearful of the Native conflict, particularly of the possibility of the Natives allying with the British, and joined the fight. What once had begun as a civil war now became a fight to defeat Creek power. -
Battle of Frenchtown and Raisin River Massacre (British & Native)
Americans, led by Harrison, suffered a major loss in the Michigan region against the British. Remaining American soldiers were killed by Indians in the Raisin River Massacre shortly after. -
Raid of York (British)
On April 27th 1813 (during the war of 1812) American forces met with an incredibly large amount of British soldiers under the command of British major general Roger Hale Sheaffe. The British had supplies that the Americans needed so they invaded York, (Toronto) Canada's capital. This was one of the first American victories in the War of 1812. -
Battle of Lake Erie (British)
A major turning point in the war of 1812. Americans under the command of Captain Oliver Hazard led nine ships again six British warships. This was the first time the United States had won a direct battle with the British navy. -
Battle of Thames (British & Natives)
When British General Proctor retreated across, he was was met by American General Harrison. Many British troops, including their Indian allies, were captured and killed. Tecumseh was killed, thus breaking the confederation he had built. This major American victory prompted most tribes to break ties with the British while also bolstering Harrison’s reputation. -
Battle of Baltimore and the creation of the Star Spangled Banner (British)
Baltimore harbor was blocked by sunken ships, and the British were forced to bombard Fort McHenry from a distance. Francis Scott Key wrote the “Star Spangled Banner” after he saw the American flag the following morning. -
Battle of Plattsburg (British)
Americans forces stopped a British invasion in northern New York, which protected the northern border from the large British navy and land force. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend (Native)
Andrew Jackson, along with the support of Tennessee militia and rival Indian tribes like the Cherokee, defeated Chief Menawa and his Upper Creek tribe of the Mississippi territory. This battle ended the series of battles known as the Creek War, and brought national attention to General Jackson. The Creeks ceded 21 million acres of land to the Americans. -
Burning of the White House (British)
After the Armada arrived, British troops defeated the small American militia and burned many public buildings in Washington, including the White House in retaliation for the burning of York (Canada’s capital). -
Treaty of Ghent (British)
This treaty ended the War of 1812. The US delegation was led by John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and Albert Gallatin. However, news did not reach America for weeks. -
Battle of New Orleans (British)
Andrew Jackson met a force of British who landed in New Orleans in an attempt to advance up the Mississippi. The Americans repelled the British in an overwhelming victory. Hundreds of British troops were killed, wounded, or captured while the Americans faced few casualties. -
Beginning of the Seminole Wars (Natives)
The first of three Seminole Wars began as U.S. authorities led by General Andrew Jackson tried to recapture runaway slaves living among the the Seminole tribes. Spain eventually ceded its Florida Territory to the United States, which opened the door to conflicts between the Seminole tribe inhabiting the area and the Americans. -
Arikara War (Natives)
Named after the Indian tribe which had attacked an American trapping expedition in present-day South Dakota, this was the first military conflict between the United States and western Native Americans. -
Indian Removal Act passed (Natives)
President Andrew Jackson ignores any previous agreements to pass this Act and move Natives, especially the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes (known as the Five Civilized Tribes), west of the Mississippi River. -
Worcester v Georgia (Natives)
Though not a physical battle, this legal fight would define Native tribes as dependent nations, still subjugated to Federal protection. -
Black Hawk War (Natives)
Took place in Northern Illinois and Southwest Wisconsin when Sauk leader Black Hawk tried to resist against white westward expansion. An American victory. -
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Second Seminole War (Natives)
Under the Indian Removal Act, the Seminoles were forced to relocate onto a reservation west of the Mississippi River. The Second Seminole War arose when the Seminole resisted behind the leadership of their chief Osceola. Though the American government suffered heavy losses, both casualties and financially, most Seminoles agreed to emigrate when Osceola was captured. -
The Caroline Affair (British)
Canadian rebels stole an American steamship, The Caroline, and one American was killed after British officials seized and burned the ship. Resentment grew on both sides after New York charged a Canadian, acting on British orders, with the murder. The British foreign secretary Lord Palmerston threatened war over the man, who was ultimately acquitted. -
Aroostook War (British)
Canadian and American lumberjacks disputed over the boundary between Maine and Canada in the Aroostook region. -
Trail of Tears (Natives)
A brutally forced relocation of Natives, including the Cherokee Indians, to unsettled lands west of the Mississippi River, backed by the Indian Removal Act. -
Great Raid of 1840 (Natives)
Representative of the resentful conflict between the Natives the whites set on expansion, this Raid won by the Comanche was the largest Indian attack on the white settlers in Texas. It is important to note that such Native victories were exceptions. Overall, Native power was greatly suppressed. -
The Creole Affair (British)
Slaves on the American ship, the Creole, mutinied and fled to the Bahamas. British officials declared them free, much to the anger of Americans. -
Webster-Ashburton Treaty (British)
Lord Ashburton eased US-Great Britain tensions. The treaty established a firm boundary between Canada and Maine, favoring the US, and protected some trade routes. He also promised no more problems with American ships, like the Creole and Caroline affairs.
