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Tension with Britain was high when James Madison became president. They were angry at Britain for arming native Americans in the northwest.
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Members of Congress known as the War Hawks of south and west called for war with Britain. They had a strong sense of nationalism. Famous War Hawks were Henry Clay, and John Calhoun
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Relations with Great Britain worsened steadliy in the spring of 1812, Britain told the United States that they would continue impressing sailors.
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In 1811, the United States and Britain drifted closer to war. The British continued to board American ships and impress American seamen. The War Hawks urged Congress to prepare for a war against Britain.
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Thomas Jefferson belived in a small fedral government and had reduced spending on defense, so the U.S was not ready for war.
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To prevent Americans from trading with France, British warships blockaded some American ports.
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War Hawks were demanding an invasion of Canada. They expected Canadians to welcome this chance to throw off British rule. In July 1812, American troops under General Willian Hull invaded Canada from Detroit.
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In 1813, Americans set out to win control over Lake Erie. Captain Oliver Hazard Perry had no fleet, so he designed and built his own ships. During the battle, the British battered Perry's own ship and left it helples so there he raised the colors again and finally won the battle.
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In 1814, with help of the Cherokees, Jackson won a crushing vicotry at the battle of Horseshoe Bend.
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In the summer of 1814, British ships sailed into the Chesapeake Bay and landed an invasion from Washingto D.C. Americans met the British at Bladensburg.
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Francis Scott Key, a young American watched the attack. At dawn, Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort. He wrote a poem called "The Star Spangled Banner" on an old envelope. It told about the story of his night watch.
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Some delegates at the Hartford convention suggested that the New England states secede, or withdraw from the United States.
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Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgum on Christmas Eve 1814. The two sides signed the treaty of Ghent, which ended the war.
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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.
