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The War of 1812
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President Madison takes office
Americans were angry at Britain. The British armed Native Americans in the NorthWest and also continued the impressment of sailors. -
War Hawks Take Power
Henry Clay and John Calhoun were warhawks who encouraged war with Britain. They became leaders of the House of Representatives. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
Britain told America that they would continue the imporessment of sailors and Native Americans also began new attacks on frontier settlements. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
Britain was still at war with France in Europe but, the British would not meet American expectations to avoid the war. America was confident that they would be victorius. -
America was not ready for war
President Jefferson's spending cuts had weakened the military. The Navy had only 16 warships ready for battle and the Army had fewer than 7,000 men. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
135 British Warships blocked American ports by 1814. After reinforcing their troops, the British were able to close off all Anerican ports by the end of the war. -
Invasion of Canada
War hawks wanted the invasion of Canada even before the war had started. General Hullled the invasion but, retreated shortly after because he was unsure about the size of his army. The British captured 2,000 American soldiers on the attack. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
The USS Constitution defeated the British in a fierce battle. British gunfire seemed to bounce right off of the USS Constitution. The battle took place at Lake Erie. -
Battle of Lake Erie
A three hour battle took place at Put-In-Bay for control of the lake. The American flagship was badly damaged during the fight. Commander Oliver Hazard Perry who was on the Flagship switched over to another shipn to finish the battle. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Andrew Jackson took command of American forces in Georgia. Jackson beat the Creeks at Horseshoe Bend. The Creeks gave uo millions of acres of land. -
Washington D.C. Attacked and Burned
The British burned important government buildings including the White House. Then the British also attacked Baltimore at Fort McHenry. Although, the Americans were able to defend Baltimore before it was destroyed. -
Writing the Star Spangled Banner
The poem was written about the battle at Fort McHenry. It was made into the National Anthem. The poem showed that America refused to give up. -
Hartford Convention
The idea that New England should break off from the rest of the United States. It was a meeting of Federalists in Hartford, Connecticut. The convention ended quickly with the war over. -
Treaty of Ghent
Britain grew tired of war and so were the Americans. Apeace treaty was signed in Ghent, Belgium. There was one last battle after the treaty was signed. -
Battke of New Orleans
The last battle of the War of 1812 took place in New Orleans. Andrew Jackson defeated the British. The news of the peace treaty had not yet reached America.
