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Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
It was the action that began the British capturing and impressing American sailors and traders. This decision started the British and American's hatred for each other, which would culminate in the War of 1812 -
Impressment of US sailors
After Washington's proclamation, the British didn't appreciate the lack of American help during their war, so they stopped American ships from trading with the French. This went on for about 20 years, slowly building tension between Britain and the US -
Jay Treaty
This treaty was made between the US and Britain, and was a formal agreement that Britain would stop attacking US ships. However, this was a very weak treaty, which was eventually forgotten by the British, who continued to impress American sailors -
Washington's Farewell address
Washington officially resigned after two terms as President of the United States. This resulted in multiple presidents after, including
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Madison, who altered Washington's original plan of neutrality. This decision to get involved directly is why the US fought in the War of 1812. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
After English deserters boarded the USS Chesapeake, an American naval ship, a British frigate, the Leopard, demanded the deserters be given back. The Americans refused, which led to an armed confrontation, with the HMS Leopard coming out on top. This angered pretty much every American citizen, who pushed the government to declare war on Britain. This was an early confrontation that would stoke the anger of Americans into fighting in the War of 1812. -
Embargo Act
This act prevented Americans from trading with any other nation, which was intended to pressure England into stopping their seizures of American ships. It ended up hurting American trade and their economy more, so they eventually repealed this act. This was the first step America took to stop the English from attacking US ships, and the failure of this plan would give the US no other choice but war. -
Tecumseh (Part 1)
Tecumseh was a Native American chief, who began rallying indigenous people to fight back against the white settlers that were stealing their land. Along with his brother, who renamed himself prophet, they recruited natives from many tribes to form an alliance. When their base in Prophetstown was attacked by the American army, resulting in the death of Tecumseh's brother. This angered the indigenous people, and would later convince them to join the British in the War of 1812. -
War Hawks
These were young Congressmen, who tried to incite the
War of 1812. They wanted to expand the nation, which was being prevented by the indigenous people, who allied with the British. These congressmen typically were from the western and southern states, and were led by the charismatic Henry Clay, who eventually rose to become the speaker of the house. Due to their influence, they convinced Madison to start the war, which helped the US expand its territory, and gain an advantage over the British. -
The War of 1812
On June 18, 1812, the new President James Madison finally had enough of the British impressment of US ships, and officially declared war on Britain. This event kickstarted the armed conflicts with Britain, which would become a major event in US history/ -
Tecumseh (Part 2)
After the attack on Prophetstown, Tecumseh and his allies joined with the British army, and were essential to the British takeover of Detroit. He and the British army proceeded to attack Ohio, only to be forced to retreat when General Harrison invaded Canada. While on the run, Tecumseh was killed near the Thames River in October of 1813. Tecumseh's death resulted in his alliance returning to reservations, leaving the British without any allies in their war. -
Hartford Convention
The Harford Convention was a secret convention of Federalists who didn't like James Madison's actions and decisions surrounding the war of 1812. Some delegations, albeit the extreme ones, thought that succession was the right call, while others recommended changing the laws to protect Federalist ideals. The group agreed on a series of resolutions when the war of 1812 ended. This secret convention made many people very upset, and led to the unpopularity of the Federalist Party. -
The Treaty of Ghent
When the Americans won a crucial victory over Lake Champlain, it led to the British offering to negotiate an end to the war. With their meeting in Belgium, the Americans and the British made the Treaty of Ghent, which officially ended the War of 1812. The treaty wouldn't reach the front for almost two months, which resulted in the British loss at the Battle of New Orleans. -
The Battle of New Orleans
When word made it to Andrew Jackson that the British were encroaching on New Orleans, he declared that every able-bodied man must fight to protect the city. After their first scuffle with the British, Jackson's army dug a mile-long trench, where they would make their stand. The British managed to make it to the trench, only to have their general shot dead, forcing them to retreat. This cemented the battle as one of the greatest victories in American History, and completely ended the war of 1812.