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The War of 1812
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President Madison Takes Office
James Madison took office in 1809. Britian armed Native Americans in the Northwest and this angered Americans. As impressment of sailors on warships by the British continued American tensions ran high. -
War Hawks Take Power
Warhawks were people who were hungry for war with Britian. Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, leaders in the House of Representatives, were both war hawks. Some New Englanders felt that American trade would be harmed by war with Britian and because of this opposition to war was strongest in New England. -
Relations with Britain Worsen
In the beginning of 1812, relations with Britian slowly fell. The British told the United States they would continue to impress sailors in the spring of 1812. At the same time, Native Americans in the Northwest began new attacks on frontier settlements and in June war was declared on Britain. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
The British share with the United States their plans to continue to impress sailors in the spring of 1812. Congress declared war on Britain in June after Native Americans in the Northwest began new attacks on frontier settlements. -
America is not Ready for War
Spending cuts made by Jefferson had weakened American military strength. The army was small, with fewer than 7,000 men. The navy only had 16 warships ready for action. It was clear that the Unitied States was not prepared for war. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
The British set up a blockade of the American coast. A blockade is the action of shutting a port or road to prevent people or supplies from coming into an area or leaving it. There were 135 British warships blockading American ports by 1814. By the end of the war, the British reinforced their troops and were able to close off all American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Warhawks were demanding an invasion of Canada before the war even began. Troops under the direction of General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit. General Hull was not confident that he had enough soldiers and retreated quickly. Hull was defeated by General Isaac Brock and the British captured more than 2,000 American soliders. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
This major sea battle was fought in the beginning of the war of 1812. The USS Constitution defeated the British warship Guerriere in a fierce battle. It is the most famous battle of the war.The USS Constitution was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because the British artillery fire bounced off the ships thick wooden hull but did not penetrate. -
The Battle of Lake Erie
American commander Oliver Hazard Perry announced "We have met the enemy and they are ours." After winning the 3 hour battle in the western part of Put-In-Bay. During this battle, the American flagship was badly damaged and Perry changed ships to continue the fight. Americans took control of the lake and the British were forced to retreat back to Canada. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
In the summer of 1813, creek warriors attacked several southern American settlements. The Battle of Horseshoe Bend took place in the south. American forces in Georgia were led by Andrew Jackson. In 1814 Jackson forced the creeks to give up millions of acres of land after defeating them at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. -
Washington, D.C. attacked and burned
The British set fire to several government buildings as their new strategy was to attack the nations capital. After collecting the presidents important documents the presidents wife, Dolley Madison, fled the White House. Americans were shocked to learn that their army could not defend the nations capital of Washington, D.C. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
Frances Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner which was originally a poem. It was turned into music. In 1931 Congress made it the national anthem of the United States. -
The Hartford Convention
It was suggested by some delegates to the Hartford Convention that the New England states withdraw from the United States. While the debate by a group of Federalists took place, news of the peace treaty arrived, the war had ended and the Hartford Convention quickly came to a close. The convention took place in Hartford, Connecticut. -
Treaty of Ghent
On Christmas Eve 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed. This Treaty, which ended the war, was signed by both sides and returned things to the way they were before the war began. Peace talks originally began in Ghent (gehnt) Belgium when Britian was becoming tired of the war. The news of the treaty did not reach the United States for a few weeks. During that time the two sides continued to fight. This fighting included the Battle of New Orleans. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New orleans started as the news of the Treaty of Ghent was traveling to the United States. It was a stunning victory for American forces over the British. The American troops were led in battle by General Andrew Jackson.
