-
Period: to
The War of 1812
-
President Madison takes office
There was high tension with Britian when Madison took office. The U.S was mad because Britian armed Native Americans in the northwest .Americans also resented a continued impressment of American sailors by Britian. -
War Hawks Take Power
Two strong nationalist, Henry Clay and John C. became the leaders of the House of Representatives. They were known as war hawks. Opposition to war was strong in New England. They thought that war with Britian would harm American trade. -
Relations with Great Britian Worsen
Britian told the U.S they would keep impressing sailors. Native Americans in the Northwest began new attacks on the frontier sttlements. In June, Congress declared war with Britian. -
Congress Declares War on Britian
The war did not come at a good time for Britian, who was also at war with Europe. Britian was not willing to meet American demands to avoid war. By giving Native Americans support was one way of protecting Canada against an American invasion. -
America is not Ready for War
When the war first started, America was confident that they would win. But soon they found out that they were not yet prepared for war.Jeffersons spending cuts made the military weak.The navy only had 16 warships ready for action.And the army was very small with fewer then 7,000 men. -
Britian Blockades American Ports
In the first days of the war, Britian set up a blockade of the american coast.By 1814, the British had 135 warships blockading American ports.After reinforcing their troops, the British were able to close off all American ports by wars end. -
Invasion of Canada
Even before the war begane, war hawks were demanding a invasion of Canada. American troops under General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit, Hull was unsure of himself. Fearing he did did not have enough soldiers, he soon retreated. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
A major sea battle was fought at the beginning of the war. The USS Constitution defeated the British warship Guerriere in a fierce battle. A to a tradition, the Americans named there ship "Old Ironsides". -
Battle of Lake Erie
American forces had better luck at Lake Erie. Both sides were aware of the importance of controlling the lake. A key three-hour battle took place at the Put-In-Bay, in the Western part of the lake. During the battle, the American flagship was badly damaged. The commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, swiched to another ship and continued the fight until it was won. -
Battle of Thames
The British were forced to leave Detroit and retreat back to Canada. As the British and their Native American allies retreated, the Americans under General William Henry Harrison pursued them. They followed the British into Canada, defeating them in this battle. Tecumseh was among those killed in the battle. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Jackson defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The treaty that ended the fighting forced the Creeks to give of millions of acres of land. -
Washington, D.C Attacked & Burned
The new Britiah strdigey was to attack the nation's capital, Washington D.C. In August, a British force marched into the city. Dolley Madison, the president's wife, gathered up all of the president's important papers and fled the White House.The British set fire to many government buildings, including the White House. -
Attack on Baltimore
Soon they moved to Baltimore.Thier first objective was Fort McHenry, which defended the city's harbor. British warships bombarded the fort throughout the night. Francis Scott Key, a young American, watched the attack. At dawn, Key saw the American flag still flying over the fort. The Americans had beaten off the attack. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
On the back of an old envelope, Key wrote a poem he called the " Star Spangled Banner." It told the story of his night's watch. The poem became popular and was set to music. In 1931, Congress made it the national anthem of the United States. -
Hartford Convention
Agroup of Federalists met in Hrvord, Connecticut. Some delegates to the Hartford Convention suggested that the New England states secede from the United States. While the delegates debated, news on the peace treaty arrived. With the war over, the Hartford Convention quickly ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
Britian had tired of war. Peace talks began in Ghent, Belgium. On Christmas Eve 1814, the two sides signed the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war. The treaty returned things to the way they had been before the war. -
Battle of New Orleans
News of the treaty took several weeks to reach the United States. In that time, the two sides fought one more battle. In january 1815, American forces under General Andrew Jackson won a stunning victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans.
