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Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
George Washington issued this proclamation of Neutrality on April 22, 1793, to declare the U.S.'s interest in staying neutral in the war that was going on between France and Britain. The Proclamation itself explains how the United States would not be involved and how permanent alliances should be avoided as it could get the U.S. involved in wars. This Proclamation urged for American citizens to remain nuetreal. -
Jay Treaty
The Jay Treaty, which is also known as the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, was signed, on November 19, 1794. This Treaty was between the United States and Britain to ease the tension between the two nations following the Revolutionary War. This treaty was negotiated by John Jay, the chief justice of the Supreme Court. Trade restrictions, border disputes, and the British forts were all discussed and addressed in this treaty. A lot viewed this treaty as beneficial to Great Britain. -
Washington's Farewell Address
Washington published his "Farewell Address" after he decided it was time to retire after serving two terms in office. In this address he called for national unity and warned against political parties and how they would end up weakening the nation. He also explains how the U.S. should advise against permanent allies so that we can remain neutral and not get pulled into wars. He also emphasizes the importance of avoiding a lot of debt and keeping good credit. -
Impressment of sailors
The British desperately needed sailors for their navy, so as they were not able to get enough people to volunteer, they decided it would be best to take up the impressed men on the streets. This tactic, however, didn't work. So they then decided to take seamen from foreign ships who were supposedly British subjects. There were over 10,000 American sailors who were forced into their navy. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
On June 22, 1807, British warship, HMS Leopard attacked the American frigate USS Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia. The Leopard forced a search of the Chesapeake for any British deserters, but Commander James Barron told them no. This caused them to get angry and they fired at them. American sailors were then taken and Americans began disliking the British a lot more. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act was an attempt to avert war. This act stopped all foreign trade coming in and ended up getting Britain and France to accept that the United States wanted to stay neutral. This act was devastating to the American economy as exports fell from $108 million to $22 million. A lot of people ended up suffering from this, mainly the farmers, merchants, and the poor people as they didn't have much of anything to begin with. It was eventually repealed in early 1809. -
War Hawks
The "War Hawks" were a group of young, politicians in the United States who wanted to wage war against Britain because of the ongoing grievances and provocations from the British. The main members, or leaders, were Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. They influenced the shaping of public opinion and were able to push the U.S. toward the War of 1812. A lot were motivated by the desire to expand the U.S. Territory and gain trade opportunities. -
Tecumseh (1st event)
Tecumseh, a Shawnee leader and founder of the Tecumseh Confederacy, was involved in the lead-up to the Battle of Tippecanoe. He was not at the battle as he was trying to secure alliances with other tribes. The Battle of Tippecanoe resulted in defeat for Tecumseh and his warriors. After the Braves discredited the leadership they ended up abandoning Prophetstown which left it open for Harrison and his men to raid the town. This left Tecumseh to ally his remaining forces with Great Britan. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between Great Briain and the United States. The U.S. was very unprepared for war. They had less than 7,000 soldiers, very few trained officers, and only 6 warships. The Americans suffered a great loss in Canada as well as in the swamps west of Lake Erie as they had their army captured. They were able to win in the Battle of Lake Erie. The American troops were able to stop Britsh, and after other battles the war was ended because of the Treaty of Ghent. -
Tecumseh (death)
Tecumseh, leader of a Native American confederaton against America, died during the battle of the Thames. This battle was fought near Moraviantown, Ontario. It was a defeat for the British and Native American allies. The death of Tecumseh marked the end of a major chapter in the Native American resisteance in the War of 1812. It also had effects on the resistance mvoement int he Northwest Territory. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was Federalist meetings that took place beginning in December 1814 and ending in January 1815. It was put together to discuss the War of 1812 and the impact it had on the economy of New England. They discussed and came up with limits to the federal authority. In the proposels were restirictiosn on Congresses ability to declare war as well as admit new states, as well as limit the presidecy to 1 term. This Convention was overshowed by the Treaty of Ghent. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was the Treaty that ended the War of 1812. The treaty restored boundaries and did not resolve any issues that caused the war to happen, like the impressment and trade restrictions. They both agreed that no terriotory changed hands and both said that they would work towards resolving all those issues peacfully. It was able to stablizie the realtions between the United States and Britain. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, and was the final battle of the War of 1812. American forces were able to defeat British troops who were trying to capture the city of New Orleans. This took place even though the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed. The victory of the Americans boosted the pride and made General Andrew Jackson a hero.