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War of 1812 Timeline

  • Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality

    In addition to stating that the United States would be totally neutral, the Proclamation forbade Americans from supporting any side of the fight. Washington believed that the United States was not prepared to enter another war and that it was crucial for the country to insist on its own national identity, despite the fact that the United States owed France a debt for aid in the American Revolution and had promised to aid France in any future conflicts.
  • Jay Treaty

    On November 19, 1794, Great Britain agreed to leave the Northwest Territory, in what is now known as the Jay Treaty. Additionally, the British agreed to stop robbing American trade ships and pay back any losses caused by these raids. The treaty helped build a foundation for a strong national economy in America and ensured its commercial prosperity.
  • Washington's Farewell Address

    George Washington's Farewell address urged the nation to maintain neutrality and avoid forming long-term relationships with any aspect of the international community. In his statement, Washington acknowledged the risks of political parties and cautioned that their attacks may make the country weaker.
  • Chesapeake-Leopard Affair

    Chesapeake-Leopard Affair served as a reminder of the weakening ties between Great Britain and the United States and served as the War of 1812's initial strike. Although it may not have been a direct cause, the incident increased tensions between the two nations and was one of the circumstances leading up to the War of 1812. Due to the attack, many Americans advocated war, but President Jefferson instead used economic pressure and diplomacy in the form of the disastrous Embargo Act of 1807.
  • Embargo act 1807

    The Embargo Act of 1807 was intended to aid the United States by showing Britain and France how dependent on American products they were, persuading them to respect American neutrality and stop impressing American mariners. The act instead had a disastrous impact on American trade.
  • Tecumseh: Before the War of 1812

    Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief and warrior, established a confederacy of Native Americans in an endeavor to establish an independent Indian state and prevent the immigration of white people in the Northwest Territory.
  • Impressment of Sailors

    Impressment was a form of coerced recruiting. It was a technique that had an immediate impact on the US and even contributed to the outbreak of the War of 1812. The British would even go to the lengths of kidnapping drunken American seamen and force them into the British military.
  • War Hawks

    Members of Congress known as "The War Hawks" pushed President James Madison to start a war with Great Britain in 1812. Younger lawmakers from Southern and Western states made up the majority of the War Hawks. Their propensity for expansionism was the cause of their yearning for conflict.
  • War of 1812

    Due to British trade embargoes and American territorial ambitions, the United States attacked Great Britain, the world's most powerful naval power, in the War of 1812. In a struggle that spanned the Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast of the United States as well as Canada, the high seas, and the Great Lakes, the War of 1812 launched the United States onto the international arena.
  • Tecumseh: During the War of 1812

    During the War of 1812, Tecumseh collected his remaining supporters and joined the British army in Michigan, where he helped British forces defeat American forces during the Siege of Detroit.
  • Hartford Convention

    The New England Federalist Party gathered for a series of meetings in Hartford, Connecticut, in the United States from December 15, 1814, to January 5, 1815, to discuss their complaints regarding the ongoing War of 1812. The proclamation from the Hartford Convention urged the federal government to defend New England and support the region's severely damaged trade industry financially.
  • Treaty of Ghent

    Despite not naming a clear victor, the Treaty of Ghent put an end to the War of 1812. It brought about a lasting alliance between the United States and Great Britain after establishing peace between the two countries.
  • Battle of New Orleans

    The Battle of New Orleans took place on January 8, 1815, between American troops led by General Andrew Jackson and British forces led by General Edward Pakenham. Despite being outnumbered 2:1, the Americans handily repulsed the British attack because to their superior earthworks.