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The War of 1812
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President Madison Takes Office
When James Madison took office, tension was hight between Britain and America. This is because the Britains gave the Native Americans weapons. It is also because of the continued impressment of American soldiers. -
War Hawks Take Power
Henry Clay and John Calhoun, two nationalists, became leaders of the House of Representatives. They called themselves and thier followers War Hawks. War Hawks were people who were eager for war with Britain. -
Relations with Britain Worsen
The British would no stop impressing soldiers. Native Americans used the weapons the British gave them. The Americans had enough and declared war on the British. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
Since the British were at war with Europe, the war wiht American was very inconvenient. The Britains were not willing to meet the American's demands to avoid war. They decided to arm the Native Americans to keep the Americans from invading Canada. -
America Is Not Ready For War
At first, the Americans were sure they could win. They soon realized that they weren't ready for war. Because of Jefferson's cuts, the navy had only 16 ships, and the army had onkly 7,000 soldiers. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the first days of the war, the British blocked off the American coast. By 1814, the Britains had 135 ships blockading American ports. With reinforcements, the British were able to close off all of the American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Even before the war, the War Hawks wanted to invade Canada. They thought they could convince the Canadians to overthrow the British. General William Hull led troops into Canada, but fled in fear of getting captured.General Isaac Brock, the British commander, and his soldiers and Native American warriors forced Hull's army to surrender. It was a serious defeat for the United States. -
USS Constitution Scores A Victory
The USS Constitution received the nickname "Old Ironsides" during a fierce battle with the British warship Guerriere. The artillery fire from the British ship bounced off of Old Ironside's thick wooden hull like it were made of iron. It was actually made of 3 layers of durable oak wood which was more than two feet thick. -
Battle of Lake Erie
Both Americans and Britains knew of the importance of controlling Lake Erie. The two forces had a three-hour battle over who would control the lake. After a long battle, the Americans ended up defeating the British. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Creek warriors attacked many American settlements in the south. Andrew Jackson took control of the American forces in Georgia. In March 1814, Jackson had beaten the Creeks. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked and Burned
AFter ending their war against Napolean, the British decided to attack Washington D.C. When they got to D.C., the President's wife, Dolly Madison, gathered important documents and escaped the White House. The Britains burned down all government buildings in D.C. -
Writing the Star-Spangled Banner
After the attack on Washington, the British moved on to Baltimore to attack Fort McHenry. The fort defended the city's harbor. British ships attacked the fort all night. The next morning, a young American named Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still waving at dawn. Key then wrote a poem called the "Star-Spangled Banner" based on everything he saw the night before. It soon became the country's national anthem. -
Hartford Convention
A group of Federalists met in Hartford, Connecticut. Some delegates to the Hartford Convention thought that the New England states should withdraw from the U.S. After much debating, a peace treaty had arrived to end the war. -
Treaty of Ghent
After 2 years, Britain grew tired of the war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve, the Americans and Britains both signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
Because news didn't travel fast during this point in time, some Americans and Britains thought the war was still going. Because of this, the two armies had one final battle in New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson led the Americans to victory in this final battle.