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The War of 1812
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Congress Declares War on Great Britain
The central cause of the war of 1812 was the impressment of American ships in the years leading up to it. By 1812, the American people were eager for war and even began to blame things on the British that were not caused by them. The War Hawks, avid patriots, called for war because they saw it as the only way to defend national honor and force the British to repeal the Orders in Council. The country declared war only five days before the British reversed the Orders of their own accord. -
Lord Castlereagh Suspends the Orders in Council
The Orders in Council were a series of decrees enacted by the British while Napoleon was in power. They increased tensions with America and eventually led to the United States’ declaration of war. British manufacturers began blaming their loss of exports on the loss of American markets. This caused Lord Castlereagh to suspend the Orders in Council, though the Americans had already declared war. -
James Madison is Re-elected
Madison was initially elected president in 1808, and re-elected four years later, meaning he was in power for the entirety of the war of 1812. He was very similar to Jefferson ideologically but more consistent and a deeper thinker. He attempted solutions to the problems with Britain and France, such as Macon’s Bill No. 2, but ultimately these failed and the country saw no choice but to declare war. -
Battle of Lake Erie
A British squadron controlling Lake Erie was a threat to the plan to recapture Detroit, so Madison assigned the task of building a fleet to challenge them to Captain Oliver Hazard Perry. His fleet destroyed the British vessels. The battle was bloody with a large amount of casualties but was a huge victory for the Americans. -
Battle of the Thames
After the battle of Lake Erie, Detroit became untenable for the British so they fell back. However, Harrison followed this retreat to the Thames river and defeated the British fleet. Although it was a small skirmish, the battle had large repercussions through the death of Tecumseh. -
British Burn Washington, DC
The British assumed the offensive in 1814, and their major move was to assemble the main army in Canada as a diversion while a force of about 4,000 sailed to the Chesapeake. They landed southeast of Washington and marched rapidly toward the city. They encountered an American army twice their size, but when they charged the American army retreated. They burned most of the public buildings and Admiral Cockburn personally set fire to the White House. -
Prevost’s Forces Lose to Macdonough and Retreat
After the destruction of Washington, many Americans came forward to enlist in the army. General Prevost had been leading the British invasion force south of Montréal. His force of about 1,000 encountered 3,300 Americans under General Macomb at Plattsburgh. Prevost called a supporting fleet but Captain Thomas Macdonough led an American fleet of similar strength to destroy the British ships and drive off the gunboats, threatening the flank of Prevost's forces. Prevost lost heart and retreated. -
Francis Scott Key Writes the Star Spangled Banner
An American Francis Scott Key, detained a British ship, anxiously watched the bombardment of Fort Henry. After the bombardment, he saw the stars and stripes of the flag still flying over the destroyed fort. He had a letter in his pocket and wrote the words to "The Star Spangled Banner." It was later set to music and became what is known today as the National Anthem of the United States. -
Federalists Hold the Hartford Convention
The Hartford convention was a meeting of New England Federalists. The goal of the Convention was to protest the war and plan for a convention of the states to the revise the constitution. This was in line with a general anti-war sentiment in New England, and it caused the rest of the country to fear that radical Federalists would attempt to secede from the Union. Moderate Federalists controlled the convention, but the entire affair, shrouded in secrecy, further discredited the Federalist Party. -
Treaty of Ghent
Negotiations to end the war began in the summer of 1814, prior to several battles, but were not finalized until December. The discussion took place at Ghent, in Belgium. At first the British were hesitant to sign without gaining some land, believing that their offense would be successful, but after several defeats agreed to settle for leaving things as they had been before the war. The issues causing the war had evaporated by this time, so the treaty simply ended the state of hostilities. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was both bloody and unnecessary, since the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed, but rapid communication was not available at the time. The British forces, led by General Pakenham, attempted a surprise attack on New Orleans but were thwarted by Jackson and his forces. The British casualties were overwhelming, numbering almost 2,100, and the victory cemented Jackson's position as a war hero.
