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All events without specific dates will be arbitrarily assigned the date of 1 in the general time they occured.
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William Henry Harrison Appointed as Indiana Governor (Native)
Jefferson appoints William Henry Harrison as governor of the Northwest territory in order to enact his "solution" to the Natives. Offering only two options, the Natives were either to assimilate with white society, or move west past the Mississippi. -
James Madison's public letter to James Monroe (British)
Madison details his distate for the British Royal Navy, which was unlawfully impressing American sailors along with supposedly desserting British sailors. -
Tenskwatawa Leads a Series of Religious Revivals Across Native Lands (The Prophet), (Native)
As a recovered alcoholic, Tecumseh's brother Tenskwatawa took the title of Shawnee Prophet in order to promote an ideal of traditional Native culture. Based on the teachings of earlier prophets, like Neolin and Scattamek, the Prophet's teachings provided common ground for a variety of Native American groups. -
Battle of Trafalgar (British)
Great Britain won a great naval battle against France. The French instead had to pressure the British economically through Napoleon's Continental System, which closed Europe to British trade. In response, the British created the "orders in council" which forced goods that were going to the French to be carried in British ships, or to British ports. Americans were inevitably caught in the middle of this conflict. -
U.S. had extracted large amounts of land from the Natives (Native)
U.S encroachment all across America enraged many Natives who felt powerless to resist the oncoming wave of white expansion. This displeasure with land loss would contribute to increasingly negative sentiment among the Natives. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Incident (British)
James Barron, commander of the American ship Chesapeake, refused to allow the British to impress his soldiers. The Leopard fired and four men were taken from the Chesapeake. Jefferson demanded that the British renounce impressment but they merely offered compensation for the incident and refused to renounce the policy. -
The Embargo Act (British)
Act that prohibited American exports to any foreign port in response to Britain and France's obstruction of American markets. -
Prophetstown Established at Convergence of Tippecanoe and Wabash (Native)
Establishment of Prophetstown allowed for a united and joined Native community to form. This would ultimately lead to heightened tensions, as the settlement was near borders of American territorial expansion. -
Non-intercourse Act (British)
Replaced the embargo act, opening trade up to all foreign markets except for France and Britain. Emplaced at the end of Jefferson's administration, the act was meant to reverse economic stagnation that had occurred with the Embargo Act. -
James Madison elected president (Background)
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Tecumseh Tours Tribes of the MIssissippi Valley (Native)
Following massive land loss at the hands of William Henry Harrison's sly treaties, Tecumseh hoped to unite the Native tribes into an effective fighting force for Native American independence. -
Macon's Bill No.2 (British)
Replaced the Non-intercourse Act early in Madison's presidency. The Bill was meant to reopen trade relations with Britain and France who also lowered their blockades, but it was too late to prevent war. -
Capture of Baton Rouge (British)
Capturing Baton Rouge in Western Florida, Madison quickly made plans to acquire the rest of the state from Spain. This was an encroachment on Spain which was Birtain's ally at the time, increasing tension between the U.S. and Britain. -
Warhawks Elected into Congress (British)
Generally from the South and Western Frontiers, warhawks like John Calhoun and Henry Clay advocated for war and were quick to agitate foreign relations with Britain. -
HMS Little Belt Shot Down (British)
USS President mistakes the British frigate HMS Little Belt for a different Royal ship that had recently abducted an American sailor. Opening fire on the smaller ship, Britain renounced their forgiveness for the 1807 Chesapeake incident. -
Battle of Tippecanoe (Native)
While Tecumseh was touring the southern tribes, William Henry Harrison moved on Prophetstown. Battle erupted as both sides sustained heavy losses, but in the end Harrison was able to burn the town to the ground. The battle disillusioned Indian forces, but there were still many willing and eager to fight the following year. -
Native Groups Begin Raiding White Settlements (Native)
Following the burning of Prophetstown, Native warriors were incensed and began terrorizing the Northwestern American border. In turn, the British support of these raids lead to greater resentment towards Canada by America. -
Madison Declares War on Britain (British)
Tensions finally break into an official declaration of war between the two countries. -
Invasion of Canada (British)
General William Hull leads an invading American force to occupy the Canadian town of Sandwich, marking the first major move made in the war. -
Hull Forced to Surrender at Detroit (British & Native)
By August Hull was forced to surrender to forces lead by Tecumseh and Isaac Brock, effectively ceding control of the Michigan territory to the British. -
Put-In Bay Victory by Perry (British)
Due to Oliver Hazard Perry's efforts on the Great Lakes, a British Fleet was dispersed at Put-In Bay, allowing for another invasion of Canada through Detroit. -
Battle of the Thames (British & Native)
William Henry Harrison pushed up the Thames River, defeating combined Native and British forces. The battle was most notable for the death of Tecumseh, which weakened the Native Confederacy's unity and resolve for the rest of the war. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend (Native)
Andrew Jackson leads a group of men in pursuit of opposing Natives and brutally massacres their encampment. This battle broke the Creek's resistance and granted the US control over most of the previously Native territory. -
Burning of Washington
After defeating the American army at Baldensburg, a British force set fire to many public buildings including the White House. Although it was to avenge the Americans burning the Canadian capitol, the blow would still perpetuate hatred and tension for the war. -
Hartford Convention to Secede (Background)
While only a minority were supporting the idea of secession, the convention still occurred due to the war's condition as a failure. However, in response to Jackson's triumph in New Orleans, the heavily Federalist sponsored convention immediately dissipated. The Federalists would be forever eliminated as a political entity in American history. -
Treaty of Ghent Signed (British & Native)
Treaty of Ghent is meant to be end of the war, returning all land gained in the conflict to their originial owners. Despite implying the same for Native lands taken, the treaty was never truly enforced in areas of white settlement. -
Battle of New Orleans
After the treaty had already been signed, Andrew Jackson annihilated an advanced British invasion force from the South with only the loss of a dozen, or so men. This would boost American view on the ouctome of the war, with pride restored and Jackson elevated as a national hero. -
Rush-Bagot Treaty
U.S. resumes friendly relations with Britain as the U.S.-Canadian border becomes a demilitarized boundary. Both sides agree to general terms of disarmament as they begin to renew their healthy interactions.
