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The War of 1812
Claudia Chetney
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President Madison takes office
There was a lot of tension when President Madison took office. While he was president the United States was having many conflicts with Britain. War fever was beginning between the two countries. Many U.S citizens were ready and eager to go to war. Eventually the War of 1812 broke out. -
War Hawks Take Power
In 1810 two strong nationalists, Henry Clay from Kentucky, and John C. Calhoun from South Carolina became leaders of the House of Representatives. The two leaders were known as war hawks and gained many supporters. Many people were eager to go to war. Great Britain was making the United States very angry by their actions. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
Relations worsened steadily during the early months of 1812. In the spring Great Britain declared that they would continue impressing sailors. Also, Native Americans in the northwest area began attacks on the new frontier. The United States were not very happy at all with Great Britain. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
As relations with Great Britain worsened and the Native Americans forced attacks on the new frontier Congress declared war on Britain. War did not come at a good time for Britain. When the United States declared war, Britain was still at war with France. Britain refused to give in to the United States just so they could avoid war. America and Great Britain were at war. -
America is not Ready for War
When the war had just begun America was planning on an easy win. As the war progressed, the United States became aware that they were not prepared for war. Jefferson's spending cuts had strongly weakened the military. The navy only had 16 warships, and the army had fewer than 7,000 men. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the first days of the war, Britain set up a blockade on the American coast. By 1814, there were 135 British warships blockading American ports. By the end of the war Britain had closed all American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Before the war had even began war hawks were eager and demanding to invade Canada. Under General William Hull's orders, American troops invaded Canada from Detroit. Eventually the American troops retreated due to confusion. British General Isaac Brock responded quickly to this set-down. the British and Native American troops surrounded Hull's army, taking around 2,000 soldiers prisoners. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
At the beginning of the war, a major sea battle took place between the American ship, " The USS Constitution" and the British ship, "Guerriere". The Americans defeated the British ship in a great victory. People have nicknamed this ship, "Old Ironsides" because British artillery bounced off the ships wooden sides as if it was made of iron. -
Battle of Lake Erie
Both Britain and America were concerned about who would gain control of Lake Erie and the importance of gaining power of this destination. The Battle consisted of three hours in the western part of the lake. During this battle, an American warship was badly damaged. Luckily, the commander, Oliver Hazard Perry quickly transferred ships and continued fighting until America had victory. With America in control of the lake the British were forced to leave Detroit and venture back to Canada. -
Battle of Thames
The British and Native American allies were traveling back to Canada. At the same time American troops followed their enemies. The British troops were defeated in The Battle of Thames. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Another defeat was among the Native Americans. Creek warriors attacked several American settlements in the south. Andrew Jackson quickly took over forces in Georgia. Jackson won the Battle of Horseshoe Bend which defeated the Creeks. The treaty that ended the fighting forced the Creeks to give up millions of acres of land. -
Washington, D.C Attacked & Burned
The British strategy was to attack the nation's capital, Washington D.C. British forces marched into the capital. First Lady, Dolley Madison, gathered the president's important papers and fled the White House. The British set fires to many governmental, important buildings. The U.S citizens were shocked that the army could not protect Washington. -
Attack on Baltimore
The British now were focused on Fort McHenry, which defended Baltimore's harbor. Britain attacked the fort throughout the night. Francis Scott Key watched the attack. At dawn Key saw that the American flag was still there and that we had beaten off the attack. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
On the back of an envelope, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem entitled "The Star Spangled Banner" after the Attack on Baltimore. The poem became popular and wsa set to music. In 1931, Congress made the poem the national anthem. -
Hartford Convention
A group of federalists met in Hartford, Connecticut. Some people there suggested that New England states secede from the UNited States. While the delegates discussed the idea, news of the peace treaty arrived. With the war ended, the Hartford Convention was dismissed. -
Treaty of Ghent
Britain wanted to end the war. They had been through enough. People had began peace talks in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve, both sides of the war signed the Treaty of Ghent. The treaty ended the war and returned everything to the way it had been before the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
The news of the war ending took time to pass along. with people unknowing of the peace treaty, one last battle was fought. American forces, under General Andrew Jackson, won another victory over the British. This was known as the Battle of New Orleans.
