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The War of 1812
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President Madison takes office
Tension with Britain was very high when James Madison took office in 1809. Americans were very angry at Britain for many reasons. They were angry at Britain because Britain armed Native Americans in the Northwest and Americans resented impressment of American sailors by the British. To most Americans, the country's honor was on the line. They felt a new sense of American nationalism. (Nationalism is pride in one's country.) -
War Hawks Take Power
War hawks are those who are eager for war with Britain. Two important men who were war hawks were Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. Though many men were war hawks, many others, especially New England disagreed about war with Britain. They believed war with Britain would harm American trade. (New England traded with Britain.) -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
The relationships of Britain and America worsened in the early months of 1812. In the springtime, the British told America that they would continue impressing American sailors. Also, the Native Americans in the Northwest began new attacks on frontier settlements. In June, America finally had enough. Congress declared war on Britain. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
The war did not come at good timing for Britain. This was because Britain was still at war with Europe. However, Britain was not going to avoid going to war with the Americans. (As America did at one point.) Providing Native Americans with certain support was one way of protecting Canada from America attacking or invading it. -
America is not Ready for War
When the war began, America was almost positive that they would win. They soon realized that they were not prepared for war with Britain. Thomas Jefferson's spending cuts had weakened America's military strength. The navy had only 16 warships ready for the war. The army was also very small, with
fewer than 7,000 men ready to fight. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
In the very first days of the war, Britain set up a blockade of the American coast. (A blockade is the action of shutting a port or road to prevent people of shutting a port or road to prevent people or supplies from coming into an area or leaving it.) By 1814, Britain's navy had 135 warships blockading America's port. After reinforcing their troops, Britain was able to close off all American ports by war's end. -
Invasion of Canada
Before the war, war hawks were demanding an invasion of Canada. They very much expected Canadians to encourage the chance to throw off British rule. In July of 1812, America's troops, under the command of General William Hull, invaded Canada from Detroit. Hull was very unsure of himself. He feared that he did not have enough soldiers, he soon retreated. General Isaac Brock, the British commander, took advantage of Hull's army and forced it to surrender. Britain captured 2,000+ American soldiers. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
A very big sea battle was fought at the beginning of the war. In August 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British warship Gurrie`re in a harsh battle. It was said that American sailors nicknamed the Constitution "Old Ironsides" because british artillery firebounced off the ships very thick, wooden hull. It seemed that the Constituion was made of iron. -
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie was a very important battle. This being because both sides were aware of the importance of controlling the lake. A key three-hour battle took place at Put-In-Bay, in the western part of the lake. This took place in 1813. During the key battle, the American flagship was badly damaged. The American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, switched to another ship and continued to fight until the battle was won. The British were forced to leave Detroit and retreat to Canada. -
Battle of Thames
The Battle of Thames was a very important battle. As the British and their Native American allies retreated back to Canada, the Americans under General William Henry Harrison pursued them. They followed Britain into Canada defeating them in the Battle of Thames. Tecumseh was among those killed. (Tecumseh was a Shawnee Native American who urged Native American resistance and wanted to preserve Native American ways. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Native American's suffered defeat in the South. In the summer of 1813, Creek warriors attacked several of America's southern settlements. Andrew Jackson took command of American forces in Georgia. In March 1814, Jackson defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The treaty that ended the war of 1812 forced the Creeks to give up millions of acres on land. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked and Burned
Britain's new strategy was to attack the nation's capital, Washington D.C. In August 1814, a British force marched into the city. Dolley Madison, President James Madison's wife, gathered up all of the President's important papers and fled the White House. Britain set fire to very many government buildings, including the White House. America was shocked that their army could not defend Washington. -
Attack on Baltimore
Britain moved on to Baltimore from Washington D.C. Their first goal was Fort McHenry, which defended the city's harbor. British warships attacked the fort throughout the night of September 13th, or 1814. Francis Scott Key, a young American, watched the attack. At dawn, he saw the American flag still flying over the fort. This means that the American had beaten off the attack. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key watched the attack at Fort McHenry. After seeing it wrote a poem about it on the back of an old envelope. He called it the "The Star-Spangled Banner". The poem became very popular and was set to music. In 1931, Congress made it the national anthem of the United States. -
Hartford Convention
In December 1814, a group of Federalists met in Hartford, Connecticut. At the Hartford Convention some delegates suggested that New England states secede (withdrawal) from the United States. (New England disliked the war because the blockade had badly damaged New England trade.) While the delegates debated, news of the peace treaty (Treaty of Ghent) arrived. After the war ended, the Hartford Convention quickly ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
In 1814, Britain had was tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve of 1814, the two nations signed a peace treaty. The treaty was called the Treaty of Ghent. This treaty ended the war. The treaty returned things to the way they were before the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
News of the Treaty of Ghent took several weeks to reach the United States. In that time, the two nations had fought one more battle. American forces under General Andrew Jackson won a stunning victory. This event happened in 1813. This battle was the Battle of New Orleans.