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President Madison takes office
Tension between Britain and James madison occured when he took office in 1809. America was mad at Britain because they armed the Native Americans in the Northwest area. -
War Hawks Take Power
Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun became leaders in the House of Representatives. Henry and John and their supporters were eager to fight with Britain.Many thought war with great Britain would interfer with American trade. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
Things only got worse in the early months of 1812. In spring, the British allowed Americans to continue impressing sailors. Meanwhile, in the northwest area Native Americans were attacking frontier settlers. In June the war began with Britain. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
The British weren't ready for war beacause they were still battling with Europe but, British would not avoid war with America.Providing for the Native American's was a way of protecting Canada agaisnt an American invasion. -
America is not Ready for War
American's were sure that they would win but, Jefferson weakend the military strength.The army was small with 16 warships ready for action. They had fewer than 7,000 men, obviously America was mot prepared for war. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
A couple days into war the British decide to set up a blockade (action of shutting down a road or port to prevent supplies from coming in or leaving that area) of the American coast. By the time it was the year 1814 the British had 135 warships blockading American ports. The British established to close off all American ports until war ended. -
Invasion of Canada
Before war began war hawks were demanding an invasion on Canada. They wanted Canada to throw off British rule's.In July General William Hull and his American troops invaded Canada from Detroit. Hull was unsure of himself and General Isaac Brock (British commander) took advantage of that.The british captured over 2,000 American soldiers and made America surrender. It was a major defeat for the United States. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
America had better luck on Lake Erie. Both Britain and America knew the importance of controlling the lake. The battle took place at Put-In-Bay in the western part of the lake. During the three hour battle in the year 1813 the American flagship was damaged badly. Oliver Hazard Perry an American commander switched to another ship to continue the battle until it was won. The victory made the British leave Detroit and go back to Canada. -
Second Battle of Sacketts Harbor
A British force was transported across Lake Ontario and attempted to capture the town, which was the principal dockyard and base for the American naval squadron on the lake. They were repulsed by American regulars and militia. -
Battle of Lake Erie
Oliver Hazard Perry's American fleet off Put-in-Bay, Lake Erie, was the major naval engagement on the Great Lakes. It ensured immediate American control of Lake Erie and thus the freedom to invade Canada. The American and British fleets met in the afternoon and in closed with fighting. The Caledonia was nearly destroyed before the Niagara and the tardy Lawrence arrived to give support and force Robert H. Barclay, (commander of Detroit) to surrender. -
Battle of Thames
On October 5, 1813 along the Thames River in Ontario, Canada. Outnumbering American forces led by Genral William Henry Harrison attacked a combined force of British and Native American forces and defeated them decisively. It was the last battle of the war in the Northwest, and the Native American chief Tecumseh was killed in it. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
A battle in the Creek War between U.S. forces and the Creek in present-day Alabama. In response to U.S. intervention in Creek government, the Red Stick Creek attacked Creek villages allied with the United States as well as Fort Mims. Following the Fort Mims incident, the United States entered the Creek civil war under Genral Andrew Jackson. American troops attacked the Red Stick at Tohopeka. -
Battle of Fort Oswego
The Battle of Fort Oswego was one in a series of early French victories in the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War won in spite of New France's military. During the week of August 10, 1756, a force of regulars and Canadian militia under General Montcalm captured and occupied the British fortifications at Fort Oswego.The fall of Fort Oswego effectively interrupted the British presence on Lake Ontario and removed it as a threat to the nearby French-controlled Fort Frontenac. -
Washington, D.C Attacked and Burned
The US capital was invaded, raided and razed by General Cockburn of the British Army. In the process, the white house and other government buildings was burned down. -
Battle of Plattsburgh
A British army under General Sir George Prévost and a naval under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, which was defended by American troops under General Alexander Macomb and his ships. Downie's squadron attacked shortly after dawn on 11 September 1814, but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. Prévost then abandoned the attack by land against Macomb's defences and retreated to Canada. -
Attack on Baltimore and the Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The Baltimore episode in the War of 1812 that inspired Francis Scott Key to write ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’, belatedly the US national anthem. The British fleet bombarded the coastal works of Baltimore on 13-14 September. Hulks had been sunk to prevent the approach of larger warships, so rocket and mortar boats were employed. The ‘banner’ was a huge, specially made flag flying over Fort McHenry. The attack was abandoned. -
Hartford Convention
Secret meeting of Federalist Party delegates from New England states. It adopted a strong states'-rights position in opposition to the mercantile policies of President James Madison and the Embargo Act of 1807 and other measures that prohibited trade with Britain and France. News of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent which ended the war, discredited the nascent separatist movement at the convention and weakened Federalist influence. Read more: http://ww -
Treaty of Ghent
An agreement negotiated in Ghent, Belgium, and signed on December 24, 1814, by Great Britain and the United States to end the War of 1812. Peace was established on the status quo ante bellum. It included the concession to the United States of all British territory in the American Northwest, which enabled American expansion. -
Battle of New Orleans
A British fleet of more than 50 ships commanded by Genral Edward Pakenham sailed into the Gulf of Mexico and prepared to attack New Orleans. Genral Andrew Jackson, commander of the U.S. Army of the Southwest, which consisted chiefly of militiamen and volunteers, fought the British regulars who stormed their position. His troops were so effectively entrenched behind earthworks and the British troops so exposed that the fighting was brief, ending in a decisive U.S. victory,
