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Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
As politicians in the US started to argue over who to aid in the war between France and Great Britain, Washington had to think about a solution to the issue at hand. The country was not financially ready to fight another war, and George knew that they had to do something to avoid it, so he created the Proclamation of Neutrality. The proclamation would not allow the country to take a side, but the politicians were still able to voice their opinion on the matter by wearing a certain colored pin. -
Impressment of sailors
Both France and Great Britain were seizing American ships because both nations believed that the US was sending munitions to the other. They also would capture US captains and sailors and force them to fight in their nation's navy. This started in 1789 and continued up until the end of the War of 1812. -
Jay Treaty
The Jay's Treaty was a treaty created in 1794 between the US and Great Britain to resolve issues that remained since 1783. This treaty resolved trade disputes and territorial disputes between the two nations that begun after the American Revolutionary War. It gave the US trading access in British ports and the East Indies and privateers that were Britain's enemies were not allowed to station in US ports. -
Washington's Farewell Address
In 1796, George Washington's second term was coming to an end, George Washington decided after twenty years of serving the public to finally step down as president and retire to his home in Virginia before he passes. He admitted that he would have stepped down earlier had tensions with Great Britain not been so high because of the war between France and Great Britain. It was eventually presented to the public on September 19, 1796. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair was a naval battle off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia between the British forth-rate HMS Leopard and the American frigate USS Chesapeake. The HMS Leopard fired across the bow of the USS Chesapeake to force an inspection amongst the crew on the USS Chesapeake because they were searching for runaway crewmembers. This act of aggression did not go well, and many called for a declaration of war. -
Embargo Act of 1807
The Embargo Act of 1807 was an act put in place by Thomas Jefferson that blocked trade with both France and Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson's economic plan backfired because the two nations traded with their other allies and colonies and the US couldn't trade with anyone. The economy of the US crashed because of the embargo. After some time, the embargo was repealed as to not destroy the economy even further. -
War Hawks
The War Hawks were expansionists composed of young southerners and westerners who agitated for war. These individuals aggressively resented the economic injuries and national humiliation caused by the Napoleonic Wars. People like Henry Clay and John Calhoun were part of this group. The British encouragement of the Natives aggressive behavior was another thing the War Hawks didn't tolerate. These people would eventually end up being one of the reasons the War of 1812 begins. -
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was the leader of the Shawnee Indian tribe who was creating an alliance with other tribes in the US. He had a brother who attempted to fight Harrison and his military, against Tecumseh's better judgement, and the brother lost the Battle of Tippecanoe after two hours of fighting. This left Tecumseh's progress in creating an indian coalition as well as his village to be destroyed. -
War of 1812 Begins
After many acts of aggression from Great Britain, the US finally started contemplating formally going to war with Britain. The day after the House of Representatives voted to declare war on Britain, James Madison signed the declaration into law. The war with Britain has now formally begun. On the date of June 18, 1812, the United States has now gotten directly involved in the war. -
Tecumseh
Tecumseh rallied the little remaining natives he had and joined forces with Great Britain in Michigan, defeating the Americans at the Siege of Detroit. After that, he joined Major-General Henry Proctor in his invasion of Ohio and the fight against Harrison and his army. Harrison forced the British and Tecumseh and his men to flee Canada and followed them to the Thames River, and Tecumseh was eventually killed on October the fifth of eighteen thirteen. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a convention of Federalist delegates in Hartford, Connecticut who were dissatisfied with Madison's policies regarding the War of 1812. Many of those involved in it proposed succession, but they agreed upon expressing its grievances in series of resolutions against military conscription and commercial regulations agreed to on January 4, 1815. The conventions secrecy and unpopularity ultimately lead to the fall of the Federalists. -
Treaty of Ghent
After the US won a battle against Britain on Lake Champlain, the US and Britain began peace negotiations in Belgium. On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, and the War of 1812 was formally ended. The US gained the Great Lakes region as a result of the treaty signing. -
Battle of New Orleans
Colonel Jackson led over 4,000 men down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to attack the ten thousand odd British soldiers. After multiple small-scale skirmishes, on January eighth, eight thousand British soldiers pushed towards the American defensive lines. The American forces opened fire, killing many of the British soldiers. the British retreated from the western bank and suffered 2,063 casualties out of the 10,000 men they had, while the Americans only suffered 71 casualties.