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The War of 1812
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President Madison takes office
When President Madison took office in 1809, tensions were high with Britain. Americans were angry with Britain for arming Native Americans in the southwest. Britain was also impressing U.S. sailors which angered Americans more. -
War Hawks Take Power
In 1810, two war hawks, Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun become leaders in the House of Representatives. This gave war hawks across the United States more power and influence. While this was going on, England feared the war because of loss of trade with the U.S. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
As war drew closer, U.S. relations with Britain worsened. During the spring, Britain announced that they would continue to impress U.S. sailors. Additionally, the Native Americans that Britain had armed started attacking frontier settlements in the southwest U.S. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
After the attacks from the Native Americans and the lack of coopreation from Britain, The U.S. declared war on Britain. Though the war did come at a bad time for the British, they still did not try to avoid it. Britain did not try to meet American demands and armed Native Americans to protect Canada from the U.S. invasion. -
America is not Ready for War
Though America had declared war on Britain, the counrty was not well-prepared. President Jefforson's spending cuts had greatly weakened the army and navy. The navy had only 16 warships and the army had less than 7,000 men. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
Early in the war, Britain had formed a blockade of the American coast. Soon, they had 135 warships blocking off ports. By the end of the war, Britain had successfully closed off all American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
Even before the war, war hawks demanded the invasion of Canada. General William Hull invade Canada with his soldiers but fearing he did not have enough troops, turned back. In the confusion, General Isacc Brock and his British soldiers captured 2,000 American soldiers. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
Around the beginning of the war, a hard-fought battle was won by the USS Constitution. Cannonballs semmed to just bounce off of the ship. Though the sides were wooden, they seemed to be made of iron, earning it the name "Old Ironsides". -
Battle of Lake Erie
After a failed attempt at invading Canada, the U.S. tried again on Lake Erie. Leading this time for the U.S. was Oliver Hazard Perry. After a hard fought, three-hour long battle, the U.S. side came out on top. -
Battle of Thames
Immediatly after gaining control of Lake Erie, The British side and their Indian allies retreated. General William Henry Harrison pursued them, leading to the battle of the Thames. The U.S. also won this battle, leaving Tecumseh the prophet among the casualties. -
Battle of Horeshoe Bend
In the summer of 1813, the Creek tribe started attacking southern American settlements. Andrew Jackson took control of U.S. troops in Georgia,1814, defeating the tribe. The treaty that ended the battle costed the Creeks millions of acres of land. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked & Burned
In the summer of 1814, British forces marched into Washington to burn the White House. Dolley Madison, the President's wife, collected the President's most important documents and fled the building. The British then burned the White house and several other government buildings, leaving Americans shocked at the vulnerability of their country. -
Attack on Baltimore
After burning the Whte house, the British moved on to Baltimore. They moved on to their first target, Fort mcHenry. The British bombarded the fort throughout the night of September 13, 1814. The flag was later seen still flying high by a young American named Francis Scott Key who watched from the distance. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
After witnessing the attack on Fort McHenry, a young American named Francis Scott Key Wrote a poem on the back of an old envelope called the Star Spangled Banner. The song became so popular that it was given a tune. Later it was made the country's national anthem. -
Hartford Convention
Ever since the war began, people from the U.S. and New England were opposed to the Idea. Eventually, a group of Federalists held a meeting in Hartford, Conneticut to discuss an end to the war. As the battle of New Orleans ended, so did the war as news of the peace treaty in Belgium reached the U.S. -
Treaty of Ghent
As Britain grew tired of fighting, peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. This treaty basically returned things to their state before the war. Although it took several weeks to reach the U.S., this was the document that ended the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
Before talk of a peace traty reached the u.s., The two sides fought one last battle. Led by Andrew Jakson, American forces won over Britain. The battle of New Orleans marked the end of conflict in The War of 1812.
