-
President Madison Takes Office
Tension with Britian was high when James Madison took office in 1809. Americans were angry with Britian for arming Native Americans in the Northwest. Americans also resented the continued impressment of American sailors by the British. To most Americans, the country's honor was a stake. They felt a new sence of American nationalism. -
Period: to
The War of 1812
-
War Haws Take Power
Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, became leaders in the House of Representatives. Clay, Calhoun, and their supporters were called war hawks(those who were eager for war with Britain). Opposition to war was strongest with Britain would harm American trade. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
Relations with Britain worsended in the spring of 1812. The British told the united states that they would comtinue impressing sailors. Also during this time the Native Americans in the Northwest Brgan new attacks on the frontier settlements. -
America is not Ready for War
Although confident they would win the U.S. was not prepared. Spending cuts by Jefferson weakened the American military. With only 16 warships, the army was small with less than 7,000 men. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
The start of the War of 1812 didn't come at a good time for the British because they were still at war with Europe. Britain would not meet the American demands to avoid war. Native Americans were given support to protect Canada against invasion by Americans. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
The British set up a blockade on the American coast. By 1814 the British navy had 135 warships blockading American ports. Sternthened British troops enabled them to close off all American ports by the end of the war. -
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. In July 12,1812 American troops under General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit. With Hull unsure of himself and not havimg enough soldiers, he soon retreated. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
A major sea battle was fought at the beginning of the war. In August 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British warship Guerriere in a fierce battle. According to tradition, American saliors nicknamed the Constitution "Old Ironsides" because British artillery fire bounced off the ship's thick wooden hull. To the Americans, it seemed as if the Constitution were made of iron. -
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie was also called Battle of Put-In-Bay. It was fought in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio. Nine U.S. Navy vessels, defeated and captured six British Royal Vessels. This was during the War of 1812 and this ensured Americans Control of the lake for the rest of war. -
Battle of Thames
As the British and their Native American allies retreated, the Americans under General William Henry Harrison pursued them. They followed the British into Canada, defeating them in the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh, the Shawnee was chief, was among those killed in the battle. -
Horseshoe Bend
Native Americans suffered defeat in the South. The summer of 1813, Creek warriors attacked several southern American settlements. Andrew Jackson took command of American forces in Georgia. March 1814, Jackson defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The treaty ended the fighting and forced them to give up millions of acres of land. -
Wasington, D.C. Attacked and Burned
The British strategy was to attack the nation's capital, Washington, D.C. As the British marched into the city, the President's wife Dolley Madison gathered ip important papers and fled the White House, The British set fire to several government buildings, including the White House. The Americans were shocked to learn they could not defend Washington. -
Attack on Baltimore
The British now moved on to Baltimore and their first objective was Fort McHenry that defended the city's harbor. Through the night the warships bombarded the fort. A young man, Francis Scott Key, watched the attack. At dawn he saw the American flag still flying over, the fort and knew the Americans had beaten off the attack. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
On the back of an old envelpe, Francis Scott Key, a young American, wrote a poem that he called "The Star-Spangled Banner." It told the story of his night's watch, at dawn, Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort. The poem because popular and was set to music. In 1931, Congress made it the national anthem of the United States. -
Hartford Convention
There had been opposition from the start of the War of 1812 within the United States. As the war dragges on, Federalists spoke out more strongly, New Englanders particularly disliked the war, because of the blockade badly damaging New England trade. A group of Federalists met in Hardford Connecticut to suggest that the New England states secede from the United States. While the delegates debated, news of the peace treaty arrived. With the war over, the Hardford Convention quickly ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
By 1814, Britain had tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve 1814, the two sides (British and Baltimore) signed the Treaty of Ghent, which ended war. The treaty returned things to the way they had been before the war. News of the treaty took several weeks to reach the United States. -
Battle of New Orleans
Since the treaty of Ghent took several weeks to reach the United States, the two sides fought one more battle. In January 1815, American forces under General Andrew Jaclson won a stunning victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans.
