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Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
The Proclamation of Neutrality was announced by George Washington which, in essence, declared neutrality in the French-British War at the time. This angered everyone, which made the situation somehow worse. -
The Jay Treaty
The Jay Treaty was a treaty drafted by U.S. Chief Justice John Jay, which was an attempt to ease tensions with the British, who had been interrupting American trade. -
Washington's Farewell Address
George Washington decided not to run for a third term, instead retiring to his farm in Virginia. In his famous farewell address, he described political parties as a force of evil and said that neutrality should be achieved politically rather than taking sides in conflicts that could likely end in disaster for the young nation. Neither of these was actually heeded, as we were about to find out. -
Impressment (Any time 1776-1815)
Impressment was the practice of forcing men, usually in the navy, to join the military without their consent. Most often a tactic of the British Royal Navy, this involved violence. Most notably done against the American sailors, whether they were already military or not, this was a major cause of conflict and strife between the British and American governments that wound up creating the spark needed to cause the War of 1812. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
The British ship HMS Leopard boarded an American frigate named the Chesapeake looking for deserters. A short battle ensued, in which the Chesapeake ended up surrendering despite only firing one shot. President Jefferson decided to try to handle the situation diplomatically, which wound up failing. This ended up leading to the Embargo of 1807. -
Embargo Act of 1807
President Thomas Jefferson responded to British and French aggression by signing the Embargo Act of 1807 into law, which cut off all trade with those two nations. This, however, wound up backfiring. The American economy crashed, and the Act wound up being repealed as a response. -
War Hawks
The War Hawks were the names given to young, often Southern politicians who initiated legislation meant to drive the nation toward war. Leaders included Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Felix Grundy. Grundy aggravated tensions by stating that he would rather have war than subjugate to the British government's tyranny. -
Battle of Tippecanoe (Tecumseh Pt. 1)
The Battle of Tippecanoe was between the United States military and Shawnee forces led by brothers Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa. This ended in an American victory, leading Tecumseh to ally the remaining forces that he had with the British Army. This furthered tensions, making war seem even more likely. -
War of 1812 Begins
President James Madison signed the declaration of war against Great Britain, meaning that war was officially on. The United States was most likely not fully prepared for war, but they were sick and tired of the pressing of sailors, amongst other things. -
The Battle of the Thames (Tecumseh, Pt. 2)
After years of terrorizing the American forces, Tecumseh finally met his end during the vicious fighting during the clustered mess that was the Battle of the Thames. Having been abandoned by the British, he tried to hold his own against Colonel Johnson's American forces but found himself overrun and killed. This meant that his confederacy, consisting of multiple Native American tribes, lost their leader, so they never fought the remainder of the war. -
Hartford Convention (12/15/1814-01/05/1815)
The Hartford Convention was a series of secret meetings held in Connecticut, so the New England leaders of the Federalist Party to discuss concerns over the War of 1812 and the increased problems caused by the increased power of the federal government. They discussed eliminating the 3/5 Compromise, as well as a 2/3 majority being required in Congress to incorporate new states. However, the Federalists died out soon after this due to a resounding American victory at the Battle of New Orleans. -
Battle of New Orleans
This was Andrew Jackson's main shining moment in the war. The British tried attack after attack but were repeatedly repelled, eventually giving up and withdrawing. This was the last major British attack, mainly owing to the Treaty of Ghent. -
Treaty of Ghent
Signed in December of 1814, but not taking effect until early 1815, the Treaty of Ghent marked the end to the War of 1812. In it, the British promised to give up their claims to the Northwest Territories, ending their American ambitions forever. As an addition, they both agreed to work together to help end and abolish the slave trade.