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The War of 1812
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President Madison Takes Office
Madison was a quiet ans scholarly man. He was the United Sates fourth president. He had helped to write the Consitution and pass the Bill of Rights. Madison was a republican. The first lady was Dolley Payne Todd. He was in office March 4, 1809 through March 4, 1817. -
War Hawks Take Power
War Hawks were people who were eager to go to war with Great Britain. They were from southern and western states and supported Henry Clay and John c Calhoun. Clay and Calhoun becam leaders in the House of Representatives. -
Relations with Great Britain
The fighting with Native Americans caused relation with Great Britain to worsen for the Americans. The United States and Britain diagreed over trade. Great Britain was supposed to be supplying guns to the Native Americans. Britain was encouraging Native Americans to attack white settlements. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
Britain blockaded American ports to stop Americans from trading with other countries. Americans had a small navy and was unable to break the blockade. American sea captains won many victories at sea. The American victories didn't help much to win the war. -
Invasion of Canada
The war hawks demanded an invasion of Canada. The American commander General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit. Hull became of unsureof himslef and retreated. The British commander, Gereal Isaac Broc took advantage of Hull's confusion and surrounded Hull and forced him to surrender. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
President James Madison declared war on Great Britain. The House of Reprresentatives voted 79 to 49 in favor of war. The Senate voted 19 to 13 in favor of war. Americans soon discovered that winning the war wouldn't be easy. Many Americans liked the idea of war. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
The captain of the Constitution spotted Guerriere, the British ship. These ships jockeyed for position for nearly an hour. The Constitution tore holes in the sides of Guerriere and shot off both masts. The British captain surrendered and Americans got another victory. -
Battle of Lake Erie
America and Britain wanted control the lake. This battle took 3 hours. The American flagship was badly damaged. American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry went to another ship and continued fighting until it was won. The Americans won and Britain was forced to leave Detroit snd retreat back into Canada. -
Battle of Thames
Gerneral William Henery Hudson led 3,500 American troops against 800 British soldiers and 500 Native Americans. This took place at Moraviantown, along the Thames River in Ontario, Canada. The British troops were under command of Colonel Henry Proctor. -
Horseshoe Bend
Andrew Jackson helped to win the victory of Horseshoe Bend. He was the American commander. A Shawnee Native American Chief, Tecumseh died in battle. The death of the chief caused the Native Americans to fall apart. The Cherokee Indians helped in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. -
Washington D.C, Attacked and Burned
Major General Robert Ross set fire to many public buildings, including the White House. The British won. This was between Britain and America. The Americans were under the commander Phillip Stuart. Britain also burned the Capitol. -
Attack on Baltimore
The attack lasted a day. The key to Baltimore's defense was For McHenry. The "broad stripes and bright stars" still waved over Fort McHenry. Francis Scott Key wrote a poem called the "Star Spangled Banner." In 1931, it became our national anthem. -
Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The composer of the Star Spangled Banner is Francis Scott Key. He wrote it the morning after the bombardment. Key was inspired because the flg was still there when the battle was over. He wrote the initial verse on the back of an envelope. Key then wrote 4 verses back in Baltimore. -
Hartford Convention
Delegates from around New England came and met in Hartford. Most of the delegates were Federalists. They didn't like the Republican president and the war. The delegates threatened to leave America if the war continued. The Treaty of Ghent arrived while the delegates were debating. -
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent was signed in Ghent, Blegium. In the treaty, Britain and America agreed to restore prewar conditions. John Quincy Adams summed up the treaty in one sentence, "nothing was adjustec, nothing was settled." The Treaty of Ghent didn't say anything about impressment or neutrality. -
Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was the final major battlw in the War of 1812. American commander Andrew Jackson defeated British commander Edward Pakenbam. Britain wanted to seize New Orleans and Louisiana Purchase. -
America is not Ready for War
Thomas Jefferson's spending cuts weakened the military. The American navy had only 16 warships ready for action. The army was small, with only 7,000 men. America was still confident.
