-
Impressment of sailors
For years, Great Britain seized American ships and forced the sailors on it to join the British navy in their ongoing battles with France. These actions of the British only resulted in more resentment from the American citizens and for tensions to rise between the two nation. The impressment of sailors was one of the biggest causes for the War of 1812. No specific year could be traced back as this occurred over a wider period of time than just a few months. -
Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality
France tried to get the United States involved in the war with Great Britain, going as far as to send its Prime Minister to the country to try to persuade its citizens. In response to the conflict, Washington issued a Proclamation of Neutrality to attempt to avoid their new country to go into war. He felt they were not ready for one and that they must focus on developing their own country instead. Washington was generally weary of foreign affairs and wanted to maintain peace as much as possible. -
Jay's Treaty
In response to the crisis that was occuring with Britain refusing to carry out their part in the Paris Treaty, Washington sent over John Jay to negotiate. They settled a treaty in which Great Britain would evacuate its forts, stop seizing American ships, pay for the damages, and let the United States trade with India and to continue restricted trade with Great Britain. While the unpopular treaty didn't succeed in making Britain meet the demands, it helped maintain peace between the two nations. -
Washington’s Farewell Address
When Washington retired from his presidency, he wrote a farewell address containing his final remarks to the country. He warns them not to involve themselves in foreign affairs, that forming political relationships with any country was dangerous, whether they'd be enemies or allies. He also warns again the formation of political parties, stating that they will only tear the country apart and make it easier for foreign countries to take advantage of them and make them their slaves. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
After continous harrassment of American ships, things hit a high when the British captain of the Leopard fired at the American ship, USS Chesapeake. 3 American sailors were killed and 18 more were injured from the incident. This caused even more people to be enraged and demand for war from both political parties, and forced Thomas Jefferson to make a decision on how he would respond to both the public's outcry and Great Britain's attacks and harrassment. -
Embargo Act 1807
In order to hopefully force Great Britain and France to respect the US' state of neutrality and stop interferring with American ships, Jefferson issued an embargo prohibiting exports to Britain and France. While he did this to cripple these countries' economy, it only ended up harming themselves and crippling their own economy. Rates of smuggling and unemployment soared and people grew more and more resentful of the British, demanding that more extreme aggressive measures should be taken. -
War Hawks
After the failure of the Embargo Act, a group of republican men were elected into the 12th Congress from the West and the South known as the "War Hawks." They were led by Henry Clay, the Speaker of the House, and John C. Calhoun. They advocated for an attack on the British colony in Canada as that could force Britain to concede, and for immediate warfare to began, declaring that time was of the essence. The War Hawks were a major factor in the United States declaring war on Britain. -
Tecumseh and the Battle of Tippecanoe
Tecumseh was a Shawnee chief who formed a confederacy, or alliance, between several Native American tribes in order to protect their land. He fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe against American soldiers expanding westward. The battle ended in an American victory, prompting Tecumseh to ally with Britain for the War of 1812. To him, it was opportunity to carry out his dream of an independent Indian state. This alliance contributed in Britain's victories in the Great Lakes region. -
War of 1812 Begins
Due to Congress being largely made up of Republicans calling for war and the growing realization that no other solution was available, the United States finally declares war on Great Britain. The decision was made hastily with little preparation, where the country was now entering war with a weak army and poor budget. This caused the beginning of the war to go badly on the United States' side and it wouldn't be until the latter half that they would slowly begin to build their momentum. -
Tecumseh's Death
In the Battle of Thames, Tecumseh was killed by American troops. His death caused the alliance and confederacy he had built with other Native American tribes, which were a large contribution to the resistance of American troops along the Western border, to fall apart. Americans could now have complete control over this western territory with the British being able to do little about it and the relationship between Britain and the Native Americans became strained after the death. -
Hartford Convention
Unaware that Britain and the US were negotiating peace settlements, a group of Federalists from several state legislatures gathered in Hartford to oppose what they dubbed "Madison's War". They felt the war was ruining the economy and drafted several constitutional amendments that would protect the interests of New England. However, after the war ended soon afterwards, the Federalists were painted as disloyal for this, eventually contributing to the downfall of the Federalist party. -
Treaty of Ghent
After continuous battles, Britain decided fighting in the war would no longer serve them any purpose, and only put further strain on their exhausted treasury, caused from the war with France. The Treaty of Ghent agreed for things to go back to how they were before the war and for Britain to give up their land in the American northwest. In addition, they promised to find a solution in abolishing the slave trade. None of the issues that caused the US to declare war were mentioned in the treaty. -
Battle of New Orleans
British troops attacked the New Orleans port, unaware that peace had already been negioated two weeks prior. In response to the sudden attack, Andrew Jackson quickly assembled an army from various groups of people in the city to swiftly defeat the British and gain a monumental victory after the rough beginning of the war. Spirits were high from the win and Britain lost complete hope of settling any territory in the near future beyond the Canadian border into American territory.