Download Causes of the War of 1812 Reading

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Causes of the War of 1812
We will evaluate these varied accounts in an attempt to identify and explain the most important
causes of the War of 1812. As we do so, we will be forced to make decisions about these sources and the
information they contain.
Use the space on the left to ANNOTATE the selected readings. Follow these steps:
1. Read through the entire reading; 2. Identify key terms and unknown words (circle, underline, or use a
question mark); 3. Define unknown words; 4. Identify the main idea of each paragraph in the reading; 5.
Include major causes mentioned in each reading.
“Once France no longer held New Orleans after the Louisiana
Purchase, Americans focused on problems with Britain. The countries
disagreed over the location of the Canada-United States border. In
addition, settlers in the West resented the presence of British forts.
The British also seized American sailors against their will and forced
them to serve in the British navy. Such seizure is called
impressment. These problems forced President James Madison to
call for war in June 1812.”
-Source 1
“The most important cause of the War of 1812 was land- Spanish
land, British land, but most of all Indian land. All along the boundary,
from Vermont to the Georgia Piedmont, white Americans wanted to
“pushe the boundaries of white settlement even farther into the Indian
country.”
-Source 2
“American feeling toward Britain was growing more bitter. The
loudest calls for war came not from the eastern merchants, but from
westerners. They claimed the British were encouraging Indian
resistance to frontier settlements.
“Since … 1794, the Indian people of the Northwest Territory had
continued to lose their lands. Thousands of white settlers had
swarmed into Ohio and then into Indiana.
“One Shawnee chief who vowed to stop the loss of Indian lands
was Tecumseh (tih-KUHM-suh). To understand white people better,
Tecumseh had learned English… He concluded that the Indians had
to do what white Americans had done: unite…
“Tecumseh’s efforts to halt white settlement failed. The Shawnee
and forces under [Indiana Governor William Henry] Harrison fought
on November 7, 1811, in central Indiana. Known as the Battle of
Tippecanoe, it was a crushing defeat for the Shawnee”
-Source 3
“Like its predecessors, the War of 1812 cannot be understood so
long as its Indian origin is obscured. Whites along the frontier wanted
war, and along the frontier most of the war was fought… The U.S.
fought five of seven major land battles of the War of 1812 primarily
against Native Americans. Nonetheless, none of our textbooks
recognizes the involvement of Native Americans.”
-Source 2
“Tension with Britain was high when James Madison took office
in 1809. Americans were angry at Britain for arming Native
Americans in the Northwest. Americans also resented the continued
impressment of American sailors by the British.
“To most Americans, the country’s honor was at stake. The felt a
new sense of nationalism—pride in one’s country. In 1810, two
strong nationalists, Henry Clay of Kentucky and John C. Calhoun of
South Carolina, became leaders in the House of Representatives.
“Clay, Calhoun, and their supporters were called war hawks—
those who were eager for war with Britain. Opposition to the war
was strongest in New England. Many New Englanders believed war
with Britain would harm American trade.
“Relations with Britain worsened steadily in the early months of
1812. In the spring, the British told the United States they would
continue impressing sailors. Meanwhile, Native Americans in the
Northwest began new attacks on frontier settlements. In June,
Congress declared war on Britain.”
-Source 4
All but two textbooks miss the key result of the war. Some authors
actually cite the “Star Spangled Banner” as the main outcome! Others
claim that the war left a “feeling of pride as a nation” or “helped
Americans to win European respect.” The American Adventurer
excels, pointing out, “The American Indians were the only real losers in
th War.” Triumph of the American Nation expresses the same sentiment
but euphemistically: “After 1815 the American people began the
exciting task of occupying the western lands.” The other ten books
simply ignore the key outcome: in return for leaving Canada alone,
Great Britain gave up its alliances with the Indian nations in what
would become the United States.
-Source 2
List the causes of the War of 1812
below.
In this space choose the cause that you find most significant, and
explain why. (3rd person)
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