-
Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality
The Proclamation of Neutrality was a formal announcement issued by U.S. President George Washington on April 22, 1793 that declared the nation neutral in the conflict between France and Great Britain. It threatened legal proceedings against any American providing assistance to any country at war. -
Jay Treaty
Formally named the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, the Jay Treaty was a treaty formed between the United States of America and Great Britain. It was supposed to resolve issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783. It led to ten years of peaceful trade between the two nations during the French Revolution. It was designed by Alexander Hamilton and supported by George Washington. It angered France and bitterly divided Americans. -
Washington's Farewell Address
A letter written by George Washington, he tells the citizens of America that he was never qualified to be president and his service was no longer necessary. The message most remembered from this letter was to avoid separating America into different political parties. Washington believed it to be a bad idea. -
Impressment of Sailors
Jefferson declared neutrality in the struggle between Great Britain and France in 1805. British controls of the sea led to British naval commanders routinely searching American ships, seizing vessels and cargoes, and taking off sailors believed to be British subjects. They also frequently impressed American seamen into their service. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair was a naval engagement that occurred off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia between the British warship, HMS Leopard, and American frigate USS Chesapeake. The British pursued and attacked the Americans, looking for deserters from the Royal Navy. -
Embargo Act of 1807
This was an embargo enacted by the United States against Great Britain and France during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a strategy to try and make Great Britain stop attacking U.S. trade and soldiers. In turn, it did nothing but hurt the United States. An embargo like this had never before been enacted. -
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was the Shawnee leader of a Pan-Indian confederation forged between 1807 and 1813. Tecumseh rose to power in 1807 within the religious movement started by his younger brother, Tenskwatawa. This movement, which initially emphasized cultural renewal and the rejection of European-American influences, assumed an increasingly political character after 1807. -
War Hawks
A group of pro-war Republicans, led by Speaker of the House Henry Clay, argued that military force was the only option left to combat British imperiousness. These “War Hawks” were not a majority of the party, but over time, their influence acted on more skeptical party members. -
War of 1812 Begins
On June 18, 1812, The United States President James Madison signed America into war after heavy pressure from the War Hawks in Congress. -
Tecumseh's Death
In 1811, Tenskwatawa ordered his followers into battle against an American force led by William Henry Harrison at Tippecanoe Creek, leading to the defeat of the Indians and the discrediting of Tenskwatawa. Later, Tecumseh led a remnant of the confederation into an alliance with Britain during the War of 1812. At the Battle of the Thames in 1813, the British and Native Americans were defeated by an American force, Tecumseh was killed, and the surviving Native Americans withdrew from the alliance. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a series of meetings from December 15, 1814 to January 5, 1815.The New England Federalist Party met to discuss their grievances concerning the War of 1812 and the political problems arising from the federal government's increasing power. The convention discussed removing the 3/5's compromise which gave slave states more power in Congress and requiring a 2/3's vote in Congress for the admission of new states, declarations of war, and creating laws restricting trade. -
Treaty of Ghent
This was the treaty of peace that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The treaty restored relations between the two nations. It was not fully in effect until it was ratified by the U.S. Senate unanimously on February 17, 1815. It began two centuries between the two countries. -
Battle of New Orleans
Fought between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham, and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, it took place about 5 miles south of the city of New Orleans, close to the present-day town of Chalmette, Louisiana, and was an American victory. The battle marked the end of the War of 1812.
