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The War of 1812
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President Madison takes office
On March 4th, 1809, James Madison became the 4th president of the United States. He is best known for being the writer of the United States Bill of Rights and the " Father of the Constitution". After his Inauguration, he had trouble appointing the cabinet ,but he had an easy start to help lead the nation because we had a surplus of 9.5 million dollars. -
President Madison takes office pt 2
President Washington left a special precedent before he left office and that was to avoid war. Adams and Jefferson did, so when the war hawks came along, he would he to face a hard challenge. -
War Hawks Take Power
Some people started feeling a sense of American nationalism which means that they felt pride in one's country. Supporters of nationalism were called nationlists and two nationalists named Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun gathered supporters. They were eager for war and these followers were called war hawks. Many New-Englanders though believed that the war would harm American trade. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
In the beginning of 1812, relations with England had gotten worse. In the spring of 1812, the British told the United States that they would start impressing soldiers again. The act of imprressment is sezing sailors and forcing them to join the British navy. During this time, Native Americans started attacking frontier settlements in the Northwest. -
Conrgress Declares War on Britain
On June 1st, 1812, James Madison sent a message to Congress saying to recount American grievances on Britain, but this was not an official start to the war. After this, the House of Representatives voted behind closed doors and voted 79-49 by delegates; the votes were won by the delegates who wanted war.. After the Senate agreed, the War of 1812 had officially begun. -
Amrerica is not Ready for War
When the war came, our nation had confidence that they would win. When they had time to think about it, they realized that they were not prepared for war. Jefferson's spending cuts had weakened the military's strength and the navy only had 16 warships ready for action. Also, the army had fewer than 7,000 men so this proved that the United States was still weak. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the beginning of the war, the British set up a blockade along the American coast. A blockade is the act of shutting down or the surrounding of an area to prevent people an things to move in or out of the area. As the war kept going on, the British kept reinforcing and building their blockade. By the end of the war, the British were able to close all American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
During the beginning of the war, war hawks wanted an invasion on Canada because they wanted Canada to break free of British rule. Under General William Hull, the U.S Army invaded Canada from Detroit, but they retreated because General Hull feared he didn't have enough soldiers.Things kept on getting worse because the British surounded the army under General Issac Brock.The British captured more than 2,000 American soldiers and it was a serious defeat for the United States. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
The most famous sea battle of the War of 1812 was between the USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere. It happened on August 19, 1812 in the Atlantic Ocean and it was a victory for the United States. For about an hour, the ships closed in on each other and then the united States had torn apart the the Guerriere. When the British fired their cannons, the cannonballs bounced of the hull of the Constitution and didn't ruin anything. After the battle, the Constitution was given the name " Old -
Second Battle of Sacket's Harbor
This battle took place from May 28 to May 29 in 1813 and was fought in Sacket's Harbor, New York. The American forces were lead by Jacob Brown and Woolcott Chauncey. The British forces were lead by George Prevost and James Lucas Yao. A British force tried to capture the town of Sacket's Harbor, but that also happened to be an American base so the American militia and regular forces fought back to win a victory. This battle was important because it showed the Americann forces were prepared. -
Battle of Lake Erie
This battle on September 10, 1813 and took place off the coast of Ohio in Lake Erie. The American forces were lead by Oliver Hazard Perry and Jesse Eliot. The British forces were lead by Robert Heriot Barclay. Nine vessels of the American Navy defeated or captured six vessels or the British Navy. This battle was important because it let the Americans gain control of Lake Erie for the rest of the war and it let the Americans recover Detroit. -
Battle of Thames
This battle took place in present day Chatham-Kent, Onatario and was on October 5th, 1813. The American forces were lead by William Henry Harrison. The British and Indian Confederation forces were lead by Henry Procter and Tecumseh. The battle started when Procter attempted to trap Harrison in the banks of Thames. This battle was important because it killed Tecumseh and broke apart his confederation that tried rebelling on the United States. -
Battle of Horsehoe Bend
The battle happened on March 27th, 1814 and took place near Dadeville, Alabama. The American forces and allied Inidian forces were lead by Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, and Junaluska. The Red Stick Creek Indians were lead by Monahee The Prophet and William Weatherford. The battle happened because these Creek Indians were against American Expansion. The Americans won and it was important because it helped stop Indians from rebelling against expansion. -
Battle of Fort Oswego
This battle took place on May 6th, 1814 and it was fought in Oswego, New York. The American forces were lead by George Mitchell. The British forces were lead by James Lucas Yao, Karl Viktor Fischer, and William Mulcaster. This battle happened because the British were near the area and the wanted to destroy Fort Oswego because it was on a major American supply route. The battle ended up with a British victory and it showed that Americans couldn't win every battle. -
Washington D.C Attacked & Burned
This event happened on August 24, 1814. The United Kingdom forces were led by Robert Ross and George Cockburn. The United States wasn't fighting because it was a n unknown raid. Many public buildings, government facilities, and the White House were attacked or destroyed. This was the first time since the Revolutionary War that a foreign nation occupied the capitol. -
Battle of Plattsburgh
This battle happened from September 6-11, 1814 and took place in Plattsburgh, New York. The British were lead by George Prevost and George Downie. The Americans forces were lead by Thomas MacDonough and Alexander Macomb. The British attaacked, but had retreated because of their defeat in a hard fight. This battle took place shortly before the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. -
Attack on Baltimore & the Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The attack on Baltimore happened September 12-15th,1814 and took place in Baltimore, Maryland. Robert Ross led the British and Samuel Smith, John Stricker, and George Arimstead led the Americans. The Americans won this battle from a British withdrawal.The Star Spangled Banner or National Anthem was written by Francis Scott Key witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the Britsh.Now this song is used at most wars, national ceremonies, and preformances. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was an event in the United States discussing political views. New England Federalists met to dicuss their grievances concerning the War of 1812. There was also debates about making peace with Britain. -
Treaty of Ghent
This treaty was the treaty that ended the War of 1812. This treaty was signed on December 24, 1814 ratified on Febuary 16,1815, and this treaty released all prisoners of war. This treaty also restored all land and boats. The Battle of New Orleans happened after this because of slow communication to the United States. -
Battle of New Orleans
This battle happened on Jan 8, 1815 and took place in New Orleans. The British were lead by Edward Pakenham, Alexander Cochrane, John Keane, John Lambert, William Thornton, and Thomas Mullins. The American forces were lead by Andrew Jackson, William Carroll, John Coffee, Jean Lafitte, Daniel Patterson, and Walter H. Overton. It was an American victory and the British troops withdrawed from Louisianna.The battle hapenned because the word had not spread to America about the Treaty of Ghent.
