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President Madison takes Office
When President James Madison took office, America and Britain were on the verge of war. Britain was continuing to capture US sailors and to interfere with American trade with France. The President and his nation were ready to take action. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
Soon after Henry Clay and John C. became the leaders of the House of Represenatives, Congress declared war on Britain. -
The War Hawks take Power
Two men, Hnery Clay and John C., had a strong sense of pride in their nation and they believed that Britain was ruining it's reputation. They and their followers were called war hawks because they were eager for war with Britain. The two men soon became the leaders of the House of Represenatives. -
Relations with Britain Worsen
The situation with Britain was hanging on a cliff. Britain refused to stop the impressment of sailors and they kept resuppling Native Americans with guns and ammunition. This allowed Native Americans to keep rebelling againsit the American's attempt to settle in their land. -
America is not Ready for War
As relations with Britain grew worse, Congress finally decided to declare war on Britain. However, America was not ready for another war. Former President Jefferson shrunk the nay, and only 16 ships were ready to fight.The military was also weak, with aproxamitly 7,000 men. -
Battle of Fort Oswego
The Battle of Fort Oswego was a British raid on the Fort of Oswego, which was a slighty successful mission. The British general in this battle was James Lucas Yuo, and the American forces were under the command of Isaac Chauncey. The British attacked a much smaller part of the fort, which was crucial to the trade with New York. The British casualties were; 61 killed and 190 wounded. The American casualties had different reports and cannot be determined. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
Before any battles took place in the war, 135 British naval ships blockaded the American coast. A blockade is the action of shutting a port or road to prevent people from coming into an area or leaving it. This interfered with the farmers ability to grow crops for America. By the end of war, Britain had closed off all of America's ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Before the war with Britain, some of the war hawks requested an invasion on Canada. 2,000 US soldiers marched to Canada under the comand of General William Hull. Afraid that he did not have enough soldiers to capture Canada, he soon fell back from the attack. The British general, Issac Brock, took advantage of this and forced all of Hull's troops to surrender. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
The first major navy battle was fought at the very beginning of America's struggle with Britain. The ship the USS Constitution defeated a British war ship in a one hour battle for control. The USS Constitution had very thick layers of wood and the British cannon balls bounced off without damaging the ship. -
The Second battle of Sacketts Harbor
In this battle, the British wanted to capture Sacketts Harbor, where all the war ships were located. Thankfully, the American militia stopped them. Commanding the British force was Edward Baynes, and the Americans had the commander Jacob Brown. The British lost 365 men: 30 killed, 300 wounded, and 35 captured. The Americans lost 312 men: 153 killed as well as 154 captured by the British. -
Battle of Lake Erie
This battle lasted three hours as both sides realized the importance of controlling Lake Erie. During the battle an American commander Oliver Perry switched to another battleship and fought there until the day was won. -
Battle of Thames
The Battle of Thames was a surprising success in the War of 1812, and helped cut off British and Native Americian attacks from the frontier. Commanding the American force was William Henry Harrison, and the British were under Henry Procter. In this historic battle, the Indian leader Techumseh was killed, and this spread fear and confusion among their ranks, and so weren't as powerful in the battles to come. The British had 12 killed and 601 captured. The American numbers are hard to determine. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
In this battle fought by Americans and Indians, the Americans, under Andrew Jackson, ended the Creek War. This expanded the possibilities for American settlement. The battle lasted for about five hours, and about 500 hundred Upper Creek Indians died (the creek was divided into two groups; Lower and Higher). The American casualites are unknown. This battle increased Andrew's popularity, and he in later years became the President of the United States. -
Washington, D.C Attacked and Burned
Great Britain now decided the best strategy was to attack America's capital; Washington D.C. The British burned seven important buildings, including the White House. The important documents were saved though by Dolly Madison who fled with the papers before they reached the White House. -
Battle of Plattsburg
The Battle of Plattsburg was won by the American forces, who were pitted against a much stronger and larger British force. The Americans were under the command of George Izard, and the British under George Prvost. The battle was fought by land soldiers and naval forces. After the battle, the state of Vermont was thrust into the War of 1812. -
Attack on Baltimore and the Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The British wanted to take Fort McHenry, which protected the capital's harbor. The British attacked the Fort for the entire night, and still, under Francis Scott Keys watch, the American flag stood standing. The Americans had held off the incrediable attack. Francis wrote a poem of the vicious night, titled "The Star Spangled Banner" which,in 1931,became the nations great national anthem. -
The Hartford Convention
During the War of 1812, New England greatly suffered from trade restrictions with Great Britain, which gave them many goods and items. Their anger grew, and soon they had a represenative meeting to discuss trade issues and possible changes to the Constitution. -
The Treaty of Ghent
As Britain tired of war, they longed for peace. Both sides sighned the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war of 1812. Americans were proud that they had once again proven their independence to Britain. -
The Battle of New Orleans
As the Treaty of Ghent was signed, it took many weeks to reach all across the United States. Not knowing this, America and Britain went into battle once more. The commander of the American troops, General Andrew Jackson, led them to a great and surprising victory.
