-
President Madison takes office
Tension was high with Britain when James Madison took office. Americans were angry with Britain for arming Native Americans in the Northwest. The British continues the impressment of American sailors. To most Americans the country's honor was at stake. Americans felt a new sense of American nationalism. Two strong nationalists Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun became leaders in the House of Representatives. -
War Hawks Take Power
War Hawks were supporters of Clay and Calhoun. They were eager for war with Britain. New England did not want war with Britain. Many New Englanders thought that war with Britain would harm American trade. Opposition to war was strongest in New England. If trade was harmed they would not get everything they needed. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
The British said that they would keep impressing American sailors. Relations with Britain got worse steadily in 1812. Meanwhile, Native Americans began attacking frontier settlements. Soon, Congress would have to declare war on Britain. In June, Congress declares war on Britain. This would harm American trade. -
Period: to
The War of 1812
Rose Huang
Period 6 -
Congress Declares War on Britain
Congress declares war on Britain. War did not come at a good time for the British. They are still at war with Europe. Britain refused to give the Americans what they wanted to avoid war. The Americans went to war with Britain. Britain provided Native Americans with support to help protect Canada from invasion. Americans think they will win. -
America is not Ready for War
The Americans are confident they will win the war. Too confident. It soon becomes obvious that America is not prepared for war with Britain. America is not prepared for war with Britain. Since Jefferson cut the military, the Americans were in trouble. The Americans only had 16 warships, Also, Jefferson cut the military in half so the Americans had less than 7,000 men. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the first days of the war, the British set up a blockade of the American coast. In 1814 the British had 135 warships blocking American ports. By the end of the war the British wee able to block all American ports. The Americans were surrounded by British troops The Americans would not be able to leave or enter the country. A major sea battle was fought in the beginning of the war. -
Invasion of Canada
Even before the war began, war hawks wanted to invade Canada, They expected Canadians to welcome the chance to throw off British rule. General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit. Soon enough, fearing he did not have enough soldiers General William Hull retreated. The British General surrounded Hull and his men and forced them to surrender. The British captured more than 2,000 American soldiers. It was a big defeat for the U.S. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
The USS Constitution defeats the British Warship Guerriere in a fierce battle. According to the tradition, American sailors nicknamed the USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" because British artillery fire bounced off the ship's thick hull. The hull was made up of 3 layers of extremely tough and durable oak wood. Also, it was more than 2 feet thick. The hull was like iron. To the Americans it seemed as if the Constitution was made of iron, -
Battle of Lake Erie
Both the Americans and the British wanted to control Lake Erie. It was a 3 hour Battle that took place. The Americans were led by Oliver Hazard Perry. Commander Oliver Hazard Perry switched to another ship and continued fighting until he won. Perry announced his victory with a dramatic message "We have met the enemy and they are ours". With the Americans in control of Lake Erie, the British were forced to leave Detroit and retreat back to Canada. -
Battle of Thames
General Willian Henry Harrison and his men pursued the British and Native Americans. They followed the British into Canada. The Americans defeat the British in the Battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was among those killed in the Battle of Thames. Tecumseh was a Shawnee war chief. The conflict later moved to the South. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Native Americans also got defeated in the South. In the Summer of 1813, Creek Warriors attacked several American settlements. Andrew Jackson was leading the battle. Andrew Jackson took command of American forces in Georgia. March 1814, Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek Warriors at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. They ended the battle with a treaty. The treaty made the Creeks give up millions of acres of land. -
Washington, D.C Attacked & Burned
The British came up with a new strategy. They are going to attack the nation's capital, Wahington, D.C. The President's wife, Dolly Madison gathered the President's important papers and fled the White House. The British set fire to several government buildings, including the White House. Americans were suprised to learn that their army could not defend Washington. -
Attack on Baltimore
The British move to Baltimore. Their first goal was Fort McHenry. Fort McHenry defended the citys harbors. British warships bombarded the fort throughout the night of September 13, 1814. Francis Scott Key, a young American, watched the British attack. At dawn, Francis Scott Key saw the American flag still flying above the Fort. The Americans had beaten off the British. -
The Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
On the back of an old envelope, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem. Key called the poem "The Star Spangled Banner". It told a story of what he saw that night. The poem became very popular. Soon it was set to music. In 1931, Congress made the poem the national anthem of the United States. -
Hartford Convention
In December 1814, a small group of Federalists met in Hartford, Conneticut. Some delegates suggested that the New England States should secede from the United States. So they thought New England states should withdraw from the United States. While everyone debated news of the peace treaty had arrived. The Hartford Convention ended. The war had finally ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
By 1814, Britain was tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve of 1814, The British and Americans signed the Treaty of Ghent. The Treaty of Ghent would end the war. The treaty made things back to the way they were before the war. The news of the treat took several weeks to reach the United States. -
Battle of New Orleans
Before the news of the treaty arrived the 2 sides fought one more battle. The battle was led by Andrew Jackson. In January 1815, American forces won a stunning victory over the British. This was the battle of New Orleans. At the start, there has been opposition to the War of 1812. As the war went on Federalist critics of President Madison called it "Mr.Madison's War". Now, the war is over.
