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The War of 1812
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President Madison Takes Office
When Madison came into office tension with Britain was high. Americans were angry at Britain for arming Native Americans in the Northwest. Americans also didn't like the impressment of U.S sailors by the British. The United States honor was at stake. -
War Hawks Take Power
Harry Clay and John C. Calhoun became leaders in the House of Representatives. Clay and Calhoun and their supporters were called war hawks (those who were eager for war with Britain). New England was were war was strongly opposed. Many New Englanders believed war with Britain would harm American trade. This event showed the two different groups and their opinions. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
In the early months of 1812 the relations worsened between The United States and Great Britian. In the spring Britain told the U.S. they would continue seizing sailors. Native Americans in the Northwest began new attacks on frontier settlements. -
Congress Declares War on Britian
In June Congress declared war on Britain. The war came at a bad time for the British, who were still at war in Europe. Although Britain was not willing to meet American demands to avoid war. This was the start of the war of 1812. -
America is not Ready for War
Jefferson's spending cuts had weakend American military strength. The navy had only sixteen warships ready for action. The army was small with fewer than 7,000 men. The importance of this event is that the Americans weren't ready and had a disadvantage. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
The first day of the war Britain shut off the American ports to prevent people or supplis from leaving or entering . This is known as blockade. The British navy had 135 warships blockading American ports by 1814. They were able to close off all American ports by the wars end. This showed that the British had a lot of power. -
Invasion of Canada
Before the the war began war hawks were demanding the invasion of Canada. They assumed Canadians would welcome the chance to throw off British rule. Under General William Hill's command American troops invaded Canada from Detroit. Hull feared he did not have enough soldiers so he quickly retreated. General Isaac Brock the British commander took advantage of Hull's confusion. The British soon captured more than 2,000 American soldiers, this was a major defeat for the U.S. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
The U.S. ship called the Constitution & the British ship frigate Guerriere waged the most famous sea battle of the war of 1812. For almost an hour, both ships neared each other. The constitution fired a cannon that tore off both of the Guerriere masts. While the British cannon balls bounced powerless off the reinforced hull of the constitution. The victory by the constitution was helpful to the American naval effort. -
Battle of Lake Erie
The British & the Americans were aware of just how important it was to be in control of the lake. A crucial three-hour battle took place at Put-In-Bay at the western part of the lake. During the battle, the American flagship was badly destroyed. Oliver Hazard Perry, American commander switched to another ship & continued the fight until it was won. With Americans in control of the lake, the British were forced to leave Detroit & retreat back to Canada. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
The Battle of Horse shoe Bend was another suffering defeat for the Native Americans in the South. Summer of 1813 creek warriors attacked several southern American settlements. Andrew Jackson took charge of the American forces in Georgia. March 1814 Jackson defeated the creeks. The treaty that ended the fighting forced the creeks to give up millions of acres of land giving the U.S. more land to explore and settle. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked and Burned
Britains new strategy was to attack the nations capital Washington D.C. The British marched into the city and set fire to several government buildings including the White house. Many Americans were suprised that their army could not defend Washington. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
Francis ScottKey, a young American who watched the attack on Baltimore. British warships bombarded the fort through out the night. At dawn Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort. The Americans had overcome the attack. On the back of an old envelope, Key wrote a poem called "The Star-Spangled Banner". It told the Story of his observation that night. It was so popular it was adjusted to music. In 1931, Congress made it the national anthem. -
Hartford Convention Part1 out of 2
From the start some people opposed the war of 1812 within the U.S. As the war carried on, Federalists critics of President Madison spoke out more strongly. New Englanders in particular disliked the war, mainly because the blockade had badly damaged New England trade. In December1814 a group of federalists met in Hartford Connecticut. Some delegates to the Hartford Convention suggested that the New England states withdraw, from the U.S. -
Hartford Convention Part 2 out of 2
While the delegates debated, news of the peace treaty arrived. With the war over, the convention quickly ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
By 1814, Britain had tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve 1814, the treaty of Ghent was signed which ended the war. The treaty returned things to the way they were before the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
News of the Treaty of Ghent took several weeks to reach the United States. In the meanwhile, Britain and the U.S. fought one more battle. American Forces under general Andrew Jackson won a stunning victory over Britain at the Battle of New Orleans. This was the end of the war of 1812.
