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Chapter 9
A. Causes of the War
1.
Impressment
a. Britain and France were
fighting a war in Europe
b. Britain began capturing
American sailors and
“impressing” them, or
forcing them to work on
British ships
c. By 1807, Britain had
seized more than 1,000
American ships
2.
Embargo Act of 1807
a.
President Jefferson convinced
Congress to declare an
embargo: Banning all American
trade with the rest of the world.
b.
Jefferson believed the embargo
would hurt Britain, but it really
hurt America
c.
In 1809, Congress ended the
embargo with all countries
except Britain and France
3.
America’s Desire
for Canada
a. Americans saw
that Canada was
not well-defended
by Britain
b. Americans wanted
more land and
believed that
people in Canada
would want to join
the United States
B.
The War Hawks
1.
2.
3.
A group of Republican Congressmen from
the South and West who wanted war
against Britain
Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South
Carolina and Henry Clay of Kentucky
a.
Feared that British trade restrictions
would harm western trade down the
Mississippi River.
b.
Believed that the British were
supporting and even equipping
Indians with weapons.
c.
Viewed impressment as an insult to
American honor.
Elected Henry clay as Speaker of the House
and pressured the presidency for war.
C.
Election of 1808
1.
2.
James Madison, “The Father of
the Constitution”, was elected
President. In the Spring of 1812,
Madison decided to go to war
against Britain
On June 1st, 1812, gave Congress 5
reasons for declaring war:
a.
Impressment of American
Sailors
b.
Violations of American
territorial waters
c.
Plundering of American
goods
d.
Refusal to revoke trade
restrictions
e.
Incitement of the Indians to
violence
D. “Mr. Madison’s War”
1.
Debate over the declaration of war was bitter.
a. Federalists, New Englanders, and easterners
opposed the war because they depended upon the
sea for their economy and livelihood.
b. Those in the South and the West, including the War
Hawks, favored the war. Middle states were divided,
but there was a majority in both houses of Congress
for war.
c. Ironically, just days before the official declaration of
war, Britain lifted its trade restrictions
2. The United States entered the war unprepared, only
7000 men in the army and 16 ships.
a. Federalists and New England states called it “Mr.
Madison’s War”, as though the whole affair had
nothing to do with them.
E.
The War at Sea
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The U.S. Navy was young and
outnumbered
In November of 1812, the British
blockaded the Chesapeake and
Delaware Bays
The blockade grew throughout the
war
By 1813, most American ships were
unable to leave their ports
However, American vessels faired
quite well 1 on 1 with British
warships. The most famous was the
U.S.S. Constitution, also known
as “Old Ironsides” because British
cannonballs bounced off the solid
oak sides.
F. The War on Land
1. Disasters in Canada
a. The Plan: A Two-pronged Attack
1) Government assigned General William
Hull to attack from the West, while
General Rensselaer would attack from the
East.
2) British General, Isaac Brock surrounded
Hull in Detroit, and frightened Brock into
surrendering his entire army without a
fight. He said the Indians would be
“uncontrollable in an attack.”
2. Recovery of the Northwest
After Hull’s surrender, the US government gave command
to William Henry Harrison.
Harrison realized, he could never control the Northwest
unless the US controlled Lake Erie
Oliver Hazard Perry built his own ships, dragging
artillery and ammunition through the wilderness to Lake
Erie, and used Kentucky militiamen as sailors.
At the Battle of Lake Erie, Perry defeated the British
fleet on September 10, 1813.
With Lake Erie secured, Harrison moved against the British
army at the Thames River. In the Battle of the Thames,
Harrison routed the British-Indian force, and killed
Tecumseh, the Indian leader. The Northwest would never
be seriously threatened again.
3. The British Push Back
In 1814, Napoleon surrenders to the British, and now full attention
could be given to the War in America.
British force lands in Maryland, and marches on Washington. In the
Battle of Bladensburg, the British scattered a large force of
American militia, and cleared a path to the American capital.
President Madison and other officials fled the city, and the British army
marched in unopposed.
They dined in the President’s mansion on a meal that the Madisons had
left cooking. The White House, the President’s mansion, and several
other buildings were burnt by the British.
Dolly Madison, James Madison’s wife, took a portrait of George
Washington out of the building before the fire could burn it up.
The British had no intention of keeping the capitol, it was more
symbolic than strategic. They turned their attention to Fort McHenry
in Baltimore.
2.
Battle at Fort McHenry
a. Francis Scott Key: an American lawyer and prisoner of the
British
b.
He and some friends sailed out to the British fleet under a flag
of truce to ask for the release of a civilian doctor who was
captured by the British.
c.
The British commander received the party, and agreed to
release the doctor, but once they boarded the British ship, the
commander refused to allow them to leave until the following
morning. The British fleet bombed Fort McHenry all night.
d.
At dawn, Key saw an American flag flying over Ft. McHenry
following the bombardment, showing the attack had failed.
e.
The flag inspired Key to write a poem called “The Defense of
Fort McHenry”. In 1931, Congress officially declared it the
national anthem of the United States, calling it “The StarSpangled Banner”.
G. The Battle of New Orleans (1815)
1. The most famous/important battle of the War
2. Americans were lead to victory by General Andrew
Jackson (“Old Hickory”)
3. Jackson had his troops and artillery behind
fortifications made of earthworks and cotton bales
4. On January 8, 1815, the overconfident British marched
directly on Jackson’s lines, believing they would make
short work of them.
5. Old Hickory’s massed artillery tore huge holes in the
British line, and frontier sharpshooters picked off those
who survived the cannon fire.
6. Result: British lost 2000 men, Americans only lost 13.
The battle ended in less than one hour.
H. The Treaty of Ghent
1. In December, 1815, British and Americans met in Ghent,
Belgium to negotiate a peace treaty.
2. Results of the war:
a. Northwest and western frontier wide open to
settlement (Manifest Destiny)
b. British blockade unintentionally spurred the growth of
American industry and manufacturing
c. American would enter an era of isolationism, not
getting involved in a European conflict until World War
I.
d. Strong National Pride, and respect from European
countries.
End