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Napoleonic War
British and France warred in the Atlantic, putting American ships into the middle as Americans tried to stay neutral. Americans became angered with the British as they tried to cut off their trade with France and began the practice of impressment. They took American sailors, claiming they were deserters from the British navy from American ships. -
Beginning of War
America was angered with Britain, so Congress decided to go to war. The beginning of the war went badly for the US because the military was inexperienced, losing many wars to Tecumseh's Native American fighters in Canada. The only few wins were in the navy in Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. Eventually Tecumseh was killed in the Battle of Thames, making land fighting easier. -
Creation of the Star-Spangled Banner
Mary Pickersgill, was an experienced flag maker and was asked to make 2 flags for Fort McHenry in Blatimore. With her daughter, 2 nieces, and Afican indentured fort, she created a 30x42' and 17x25' flag, with 15 stripes and and 15 stars to hang over the fort during the fight with the British that inspired the American national anthem. -
Battle of Lake Erie
This was one of the first major battles that the Americans won. 9 small ships defeated a larger force of British vessels. Oliver Perry led the Americans to defeat the British. -
Burning of Washington
The Brith wanted to take the port city Baltimore that was filled with American navy ships. They invaded Chespeake, but American forces were unprepared for the attack so it was taken quicklt. Dolley Madison knew the White House could not stand the British, so valubles were sent to friends. When the British arrived the burned the Capitol also. -
Battle of Baltimore and Fort McHenry
Baltimore was an important port to the Americans, so the British British navy decided to attack it with bombordment of guns and bombs. For 2 days the Americans waited anxiously to find out the outcome of the battle, which the Americans won as shown through Pickersgill's flag, worn and tattered, still up above the fort. This inspire dFrancis Scott Key to write our anthem. -
Penning of the American National Anthem
The British attacked at Ft. McHenry and the air was clogged with artillary and bombs, so many like Francis Scott Key could not see the fighting. After the long wait aboard the British ship as a prisoner, Key was able to see the American flags still up (meaning the Americans had won) and the British leaving the harbor. Because of his jubilation, Key wrote a poem which later became to Nnational anthem about the joy of seeing the flags still up, which we play/sing 2 verses of today. -
Treaty of Ghent
The British could not afford to keep the fight going in North America, so they agreed to discussing peace with Americans in Belgium to end the war. In Ghent this document was signed, and the British agreed to take their forces out of the Northwest Territories and would try and make an effort to lower slavery. The very causes that began the war though (impressment and Candadian border) were not addressed but both parties. -
Battle of New Orleans
While warring with the US, the British continued their fight with France. The fighting in North American. Because the communication technology was slow then, American troops led by Andrew Jackson and British troops did not know to stop fighting. Jackson fought the British by the Mississppi River, bombarding the British with artillary. This didn't victory didn't help in the overall war because peace was being settled on, but American nationalism was raised and the English easier to deal with.
