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Jefferson is re-elected
In 1804, Thomas Jefferson ran for re-election against Federalist candidate Charles Pinckney of South Carolina and won re-election. -
Embargo Act
The Embargo Act was passed by Congress in December 1807. Embargo prohibits trade with other countries. The act was mainly towards Great Britain but it prohibited all exports and imports to all foreign countries. The act was unsuccessful. The ships were confined in harbors, they couldn't sell tobacco or cotton, the price of wheat fell, and river traffic stopped. So Britain just traded with other countries instead. The act was repealed by Congress and replaced by the Nonitercourse Act. -
Madison became President
Jefferson decided not to run for a third term. The Republicans then chose James Madison from Virginia to run as candidate. The Federalists hoped the failed Embargo Act would help them win and chose Charles Pinckney. But the Federalists gained little support and Madison won with 122 electoral votes. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
The govenor of the Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, attacked Prophetstown while Tecumseh was away. After a few hours of battle, Tenskwatawa and all of his forces fled. Making the Battle of Tippecanoe a victory for the Americans. But after their defeat, Tecumseh joined with British forces. -
War of 1812 begins
In spring 1812, President Madison knew he could not avoid war with Britain for much longer. He sent a message to Congress on June 1, 1812 asking for them to declare war. By then the British had decided to end the policy concerning the seizure of American ships. By the time the news had reached Washington D.C it was already too late. The war began in July 1812. -
Battle at Lake Erie
General William Henry Harrison decided the Americans had no chance as long as the British controlled Lake Erie. Oliver Hazard Perry, the commander of the Lake Erie naval forces, assembled a fleet to take the lake from the British. The British ships came out to face the Americans on September 10. In the battle that followed the Americans destroyed the British naval force. -
Battle of Thames
General William Henry Harrison led an army of 3,500 American troops against eight hundred British soldiers and five hundred Native Americans along the Thames River in Ontarion, Canada. The American army won a total victory. As soon as they advanced the British soldiers surrendered and fled and the Native Americans fled as soon as Tecumseh died on the battlefield. -
British burn Washington D.C
In the spring of 1814 the British forces began to improve and in August 1814, the British sailed into Chesapeake Bay to lauch an attack on Washington D.C. British troops quickly swept through the outskirts of the city, marching into the American capital. As they burned everything connected to the government, among those were the Capitol and the president's mansion. The British did not hold Wahington D.C, but quickly moved on, heading north to Baltimore. -
Battle at Lake Champlain
While the British, were attacking Wasington and Baltimore, British General Sir George Prevost was moving from New York to Canada to attempt to capture Plattsburgh, an important city on the shore of Lake Champlain. Although he was leading more than 10,000 soldiers, the American naval force on the lake defeated them, as the British were afraid of being surrounded and retreated. This battle convinced Britain a war with American was too costly to be worth it. -
Treaty of Ghent
In December, 1814, American and British representatives met in Ghent, Belgium, to sign a peace agreement with each other. This treaty was the Treaty of Ghent. It did not mention change to any borders, impressment of sailors or neutral rights. -
Battle at New Orleans
Word of the treaty had not yet reached the United States and one last battle ocurred between the British and the Americans. On January 8, 1815, the British advanced on New Orleans. But Andrew Jackson and his troops were waiting behind thick cotton bales, and the redcoats were no match for them. The bales absorbed British bullets while the Americans had open targets for the British. In a short time, hundreds of British soldiers were killed and the Americans achieved victory.