-
Impressment of Sailors
Britain wanted more people in its military and also didn't like the neutrality America declared for both France and Britain. They decided to seize ships and impress American sailors into their Navy which was a practice for a while. The more britain did this then the more this affected American commerce. America didn't like this and had resentment towards them since Britain wouldn't stop. This would later contribute to the War of 1812 -
Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
Washington believed in no permanent alliances with any foreign countries since this could cause many foreign issues. He declared the US neutral with the proclamation of neutrality and stated that America is "Friendly and impartial toward the belligerent
powers." This sparked much controversy and didn't stop both France and Britain from causing problems overseas. -
Jay Treaty
Washington had sent John Jay to negotiate in london which is where they made the Jay Treaty. Since there was a problem with Great Britain dominating western ports with soldiers, they wanted the treaty to consist of Britain withdrawing from the ports and America still allowing the fur trade. This treaty still didn't solve the seizing of ships or the impressment of sailors. This showed how weak America was. This didn't sit well with the US. -
Washington's Farewell Address
As Washington stepped down from his presidency he made the farewell address as a letter to the public. In this letter he told America to always remain united and to also be careful declaring alliances with nations and that they should remain neutral to avoid entanglements. Since then this advice has resided with America. Both France and Britain continued to try and get America out of neutrality with violence. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
British forces were blocking the French from getting goods from the US. Some of the French crew decided to leave these ships and find refuge in the USS Chesapeake. The British then wanted to search the USS Chesapeake but the commodore refused which caused the British to fire. This had killed and wounded people. This event had riled up the Americans and exclaimed they wanted action. -
Embargo Act 1807
There were continuous problems with foreign nations, especially Great Britain with the seizing of American ships even after repeated tries for peace. Jefferson enacted an embargo to stop all commerce with foreign nations hoping it would give them more authority and hurt Britain economically. This had only hurt America deeply and just raised tension between Great Britain and America. -
War Hawks
The war hawks were politicians created by members of the Twelfth Congress. Henry Clay and John Calhoun were two of the most well-known politicians in the war hawks. They wanted military to address the problems with Britain rather then Jeffersons attempts of threats. They were the ones that realized that war is a better action than Jeffersons failed tries. They wanted the War of 1812 and sided with getting violent with Britain. -
Battle of Tippecanoe (Tecumseh)
This battle dealt between the Americans and the natives. This started because there was an agreement where natives had to sell 3 million acres of land. Tecumseh, Shawnee chief, ordered natives to attack Americans who would go on their land. This caused Governor William Henry Harrison to send his forces to their village and attack them. This ended with their village in flames and caused the natives to form an alliance with Great Britain. -
War of 1812 Begins
The War of 1812 started due to all the issues Britain was causing like the restriction in trade and the impressment of American sailors. America did not have a good army but still put in an effort. American forces tried to invade Canada which ended in the British capturing Detroit but America gained Detroit back. They then defeated the British fleet and this allowed the forces to try Canada again and ended in the victory of the Battle of the Thames. War ended once the treaty of Ghent was imposed -
Battle of the Thames (Tecumseh)
In the Battle of the Thames America got the victory against Britain and the natives. while America was able to break the British lines this had caused many to flee and surrender leaving the natives to battle alone. While they were led by Tecumseh they tried to fight off the Americans leading to the death of their chief Tecumseh. -
Hartford Convention
This convention was a secret meeting between Federalist delegates. These delegates were upset over the war and the power given to the South. They didn't like the idea of the military draft and regulations on trading especially James Madison's administration. This convention ultimately resulted in the Treaty of Ghent which ended the war. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was established in Belgium between britain and America. This had made their relationship the same as before the war. The treaty didn't address the impressment of American sailors but it did give the US more control over northwest territory. This led to more negotiations with Native Americans. It also addressed some boundary problems in Canada. They had also agreed to stop the slave trade. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the final battle of the War of 1812. Neither side knew about the Treaty of Ghent that was established before the battle. British forces wanted to capture New Orleans but because America had free slaves, natives, pirates, and civilians in their forces they were able to win this battle. They suffered few casualties and boosted the presidency of Andrew Jackson.