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The War of 1812
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President Madison Takes Office
James Madison was a Republican, like Jefferson. Madison was a quiet, scholarly man, he helped to write the Constitution and pass the Bill of Rights. Madison tried to keep America out of war. Some Americans thought his approach was too timid. -
War Hawks Take Power
The War Hawks were those who were eager for war with Britain. Henry Clay and John Calhoun's suppoters were War Hawks. Opposition to war was strongest in New England. They believed war with Britain would harm American trade. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsen
The fighting of Americans and Native Americans caused relations with Great Britain to worsen. The British supplied guns and ammunition to Native Americans. The British provoked the Native Americans to attack US settlements. The US and Great Britain disagreed over trade. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
The House voted 79-49 in favor. The Senate voted 19-13 in favor of war. Before, in 1811, Britain and America drifted closer to war. The British started to impress American sailors. Americans crippled British ships. -
America is Not Ready for War
Jefferson's spending cuts had weakened American military strength. The navy had only 16 warships ready for action. The army had less than 7,000 men. The British set up a blockade of the American coast. There was little money. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
The British stoped Americans from trading with other countries. The small American navy was unable to break the blockade. Several sea captains won stunning victories. A famous battle was in August, 1812. The USS Constitution won the battle against the Guerriere. -
Invasion of Canada
Before the war, war hawks were demanding an invasion of Canada. William Hull led troops to invade Canada from Detroit. He soon retreated. The British commander and his British and Indian army cornered Hull's troops and surrendered. The British captured more than 2,000 American soldiers. -
USS Constitution Scores a Victory
Isaac Hull, captain of the Constitution spotted the British ship Guerrere. For neartly an hour, the 2 ships jockeyed for position. The guns of the Constitution tore holes in the sides of the British ship. The British captain of the ship surrendered. The battle did little to win the war. -
Battle of Lake Erie
American forces were lucky. The American flag ship was badly damaged. So the American commander, Perry, switched to another ship and continued the fight until it was won. Perry announced his victory dramatically. British were forced to retreat back to Canada. -
Battle of Thames
William Henry Harrison led an American army to recover Detroit and capture Fort Amherstburg. The British depended on Lake Erie. The Native Americans sided with the British. Tecumseh made the Native Americans ally with the British.The British retreated. -
Horseshoe Bend
Andrew Jackson won the battle with Americans and Cherokees at Horseshoe Bend. The fighting of the battle ended for the time being. Native Americans had to give up land. -
Washington, D.C. Attacked and Burned
Britain's strategy was to attack the nation's capital. A british force marched into the city. The British set fire to several government buildings, including the White House. Americans were shocked to learn that their army could not defend Washington. The British then moved on to Baltimore. -
Attack on Baltimore
The British's first objective was Fort McHenry. British bombarded the fort.Francis Key Scott wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner". Americans had beaten off the attack. Eventually, Congress made "The Star-Spangled BAnner" the national anthem. -
Writing the Star Spangled Banner
Francis Key Scott watched the British warships bombared Fort McHenry. Key saw the American flag flying over the fort, which means they had beaten off the attack. The poem was written on an old envelope. In 1931, Congress made it the national anthem. -
Hartford Convention
Delegates from around New England met in Hartford, Conecticut. Most of them were Federalists. They disliked the Republican President and the war. The delegates threatened to leave the Union if the war continued. The Hartford Convention ended quickly. -
Treaty of Ghent
This treaty was signed in Ghent, Belguim. John Quincy Adams summed up the treaty as "Nothing was adjusted, nothing was settled". The treaty said nothing about impressment or nueutrality. Britain and the U.S. agreed to restore pre war conditions. These issues faded due to the end of Napolenic Wars. -
Battle of New Orleans
Before the news of the Treaty of Ghent reached America, there was news of one more battle. Andrew Jackson led the American forces into the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans that was stunning, it was a short battle.
