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British Impressment of American Sailors
Since Britain had recognized America as an independent nation at the end of the Revolutionary War, it had been continually kidnapping and recruiting American sailors into the British navy against their will. This continued until Britain allied with France in 1814, at which point Britain had no need to recruit any more people for the navy. -
Proclamation of Neutrality
This was a proclamation issued by George Washington declaring that the United States was neutral in the war between Britain and France. -
Jay Treaty
Attempted to resolve conflicts with Britain, asked them to leave their posts that were forfeited in 1783, and send money for compensation for their overbearing trade restrictions. Impressment was a pressing issue and was intended to be resolved, but there was no resolution due to an unsuccessful negotiation. This treaty was regarded by the American people as being too soft on the British. -
George Washington's Farewell Address
In his final address to Congress, George Washington warned of the dangers of political parties and said that Americans should work together instead of against each other. Washington also advised against long-term alliances with other countries. -
Chesapeake–Leopard Affair
This was an incident between the British HMS Leopard and the American USS Chesapeake where British troops boarded the Chesapeake and removed four sailors, who were thought to be British deserters. Only one of those captured turned out to be British. This angered America and led to increased tensions between the two countries. -
Embargo Act of 1807
This was the first embargo issued by the United States, and was meant to keep British ships out of American waters to keep them from impressing the sailors. However, it proved to be unsuccessful and was eventually repealed as it dramatically affected American commerce and trade, while barely having an impact on the British. It also failed to stop British impressment. -
War Hawks in Congress
As tensions were rising against Britain, many members of the Twelfth US Congress wanted to forgo negotiating peace and just declare war. They figured that the only way these conflicts would be resolved was by force. -
War of 1812 Begins
James Madison declared war on Britain on June 1st, but the declaration did not get signed into law until 17 days later. The first battle of the War of 1812 was the Battle of Tippecanoe, which is between American and Native American armies, and resulted in an American victory. -
Siege of Fort Meigs by Tecumseh
Fort Meigs was a recently constructed American fort that a British and Native American army tried to capture. Tecumseh was one of the leaders of the Native Americans in this battle, which ultimately ended up as an American victory. This was a turning point in the war. -
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames was a major battle for the Native Americans in the war of 1812, led by Tecumseh, The Native Americans lost to the United States army, resulting in Tecumseh's death and the Natives leaving their alliance with Britain -
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Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a meeting that discussed the removal of the Three-Fifths Compromise and requiring a two thirds vote in congress for things like declaring war or admitting new states. This was one of the last instances of the Federalists as a widespread political party as news of Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans had reached the American people discrediting Federalists. -
Treaty of Ghent
This was the treaty that ended the war of 1812 and restored each countries' pre-war borders. After such treaty, relations have been fairly peaceful. -
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Battle of New Orleans
After the War of 1812 had officially ended, it took time for word of the peace treaty to spread to America. During this time, a battle took place between American general Andrew Jackson and British general Edward Pakenham. The battle resulted in an American victory. Afterwards, both countries forgave each other for the misunderstanding, and Britain withdrew their troops to Europe in order to pursue the French army.