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President Madison takes office
Americans were angry at for arming Native Americasn in the Northeast.Americans also resented the continued impressment of American sailors by the british. -
Period: to
President Madison takes office
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War Hawks Take Power
Opposition to war was strongest in New England. Many New Englanders believed war with Britain would would harm American trade. -
Relations with Great Britian Worsen
Realtions with Brtain worsened steadily in the early mouths of 1812. In the spring, the British told the United States they would continue impressing sailors. -
Congress Declares War on Britian
The war did not come at a good time for the British, who were still at war in Europe.However, Britain was not willing to meet American demands to avoid war. -
America is not Ready for War
When the war began, Americans were confident that they would win. It soon became apperent that the United States was not Prepared for war. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the first days of the war, the British set up a blockade of the American coast. By the 1814, the British navy had 135 warships blockading American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Even before the war began, war hawks were demanding an invasion of Canada. They expected Canadians to welcome the chance to throw off British rule. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
Deafeted the British warship The Guerriere in a fierce battle. British artillery fire bounced off the ship's wooden sides. -
Second Battle of Sackets Habor
In the early of the War, the British had seized control of the Great Lakes. In September 1812 Captain Isaac Chauncey was ordered to assume command of navel forces on Lakes Ontario and Erie. At the start of the campaining season of 1813, the main American forces on the boarder between the United States and Canada had been concentrated at Sacket`s Harbor. -
Battle of Lake Erie
Both sides were aware of the importance of controlling the lake. A key three hour battle took place at Put-In-Bay, The Americans won the battle. -
Battle of Hoseshoe
Andrew Jackson took command of American forces in Georgia. In March of 1814, Jackson defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. -
Battle of Fort Oswego
During the early months of 1814, while Lake Ontario was frozen, the British and American naval squadrons had been building two frigates each, with which to contest command of the lake during the coming campaining season. The British under Commodore Sir James Lucas Yeo were first to complete their frigates on 14 April, but when the Americans under Commodore Isaac Chauncey had completed their own, more powerful, frigates, Yeo`s squadron would be outclassed. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked & Burned
The British set fire to several government buildings, including the White House. Americans were shocked to learn that their army could not defend Washington. -
Attack on Baltimore & the Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The British lay seige to Fort McHenry in Baltimore. On September 13, 1814, Francis Scott Key, a young American watched the attack. At dawn, Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort and wrote a poem on the back of an envelop called the "The Star Spangled Banner." This described the battle. -
Hartford Convention
Some delegates to the Hartford Convention suggested that the New England states secede from the United States. While the delegates debated, news from the peace treaty arrived. With the war over, the Hartford Convention quickly ended. -
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. A British army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost and a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, which was defended by American troops under Brigadier General Alexander Macomb and ships commanded by Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough. -
Treaty of Ghent
By 1814, Britain had tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium on Christmas Eve, 1814. The two sides signed the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war. The treaty returned things to the way they had been before the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
News of the Treaty took several weeks to reach the United States. In that time, the two sides fought one more battle. . In January, 1815, American forces under General Andrew Jackson won a stunning victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans.
