Download The Presidency of James Madison

THE PRESIDENCY OF JAMES
MADISON
The Election of
1808

Jefferson honors two-term tradition started by
Washington
◦ Supports his protégé, Madison

Madison wins the presidency but Federalists
gain seats in Congress due to unhappiness
w/embargo
Commercial Warfare

Madison’s presidency was dominated by same European
problems that plagued Jefferson in his 2nd term.
◦ Like Jefferson he tried to use a combination of diplomacy and
economic pressure to deal with the Napoleonic Wars
◦ Nonintercourse Act of 1809
 Americans could trade with all nation’s except France and England
◦ Macon’s Bill No. 2 (1810)
 U.S. economy still suffering under Nonintercourse Act. Congress
proposed a bill that would restore trade with either Britain or France
in exchange for their promise to respect U.S. neutral rights at sea and
the U.S. would prohibit trade with that country’s enemy
◦ Napoleon’s Deception
 He announces plan to revoke the decrees that violated U.S. neutrality
and Madison implemented Macon’s Bill, thus prohibiting trade with
Britain
 French continued to seize American ships
THE WAR OF 1812
Causes of the War of 1812:

Violation of U.S. neutrality
◦ Needed free trade for our survival
◦ Impressments

Trouble w/Britain on our western frontier

Other Factors:
◦ General sympathy for France
◦ Desire for territorial expansion
A Closer Look at
Neutrality Issue: The
U.S. Desire for Free
Seas and Trade

U.S. depended upon the free flow of shipping across the
Atlantic for our economic survival and prosperity
◦ British and French blockades led to frequent violations of a
neutral rights as sea

From U.S. perspective British violations were worse
◦ Their navy was strong
◦ British practice of impressment was especially upsetting to
Americans
A Closer Look at Frontier Pressures

Americans desire for expansion
◦ Westerners longed for the lands of British
Canada and Spanish Florida
◦ Standing in the way were the British and their
Indian and Spanish allies

Conflicts with American Indians
◦ This was an ongoing problem for westerners
◦ 1811: Shawnee brothers Tecumseh and
Prophet attempted to unite the tribes east
of the Mississippi River in a new Indian
Confederacy
 The Indiana Governor William Henry Harrison
defeated Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe
Engraving of British General Brock
meeting with Tecumseh
◦ Rumors swirled that the British were
supplying Tecumseh and Prophet with
weapons and encouraging them to rebel
Cause: Election of the War Hawks

Midterm Election of 1810 brought a
group of new, young DemocraticRepublicans to Congress, many of
whom were from frontier states
◦ Known as the war hawks for their
eagerness for war with Britain
◦ Argued that war with Britain was the
only way to defend American honor,
gain Canada, and destroy American
Indian resistance on the frontier

Quickly gained significant influence
in the House of Representatives
British delays in
meeting U.S.
demands over
neutral rights
Political
pressures from
the war hawk
Congress
Finally persuaded Madison to seek a
declaration of war but nation was
divided
Irony: Neither country really
wanted war

Madison was
re-elected

But election
showed
there was
division in
the country
over the war
NE
Merchants
• Suffered
significant loss in
trade
• Protestant
background
made them
more
sympathetic to
Brits than
Catholic French
Federalists
• Opposed on
principle
• Viewed war as
Republican
scheme to grab
land (Canada &
Florida) to
increase their
voting strength
“Quids”
• Felt war
violated classic
Republican
commitment
to limited
federal power
and to
maintenance
of peace

British advantage:
overwhelming military
superiority

Strategy: Hope
Napoleon wars
continue
◦ British military would be
divided & pre-occupied
so they won’t be focused
on war with us

Invade Canada

Complete failure. Other invasion efforts
also failed.

By 1813, British
navy was less
preoccupied
w/Napoleon and
began effectively
counterattacking
our privateers
Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry was victorious and gained control of
Lake Erie. We had also gained control of Lake Ontario.

Gen. Andrew Jackson
defeated the Creek
Indians



1814 Napoleon was defeated.
British could focus full attention on U.S.
August 24, 1814 British troops entered
Washington D.C. and burned the White House
Francis Scott Key
wrote the Star
Spangled Banner
“Oh Say Can You See, By the
Dawn’s Early Light. . .”

Radical Federalists in New England were strongly opposed to
the war and to the Democratic-Republican government in
Washington
◦ Urged that the constitution be amended and as a last resort,
secession be discussed
 The convention was held to discuss those issues

At the convention more moderate Federalists rejected calls for
secession but did make a number of proposals to limit the
growing power of Democratic-Republicans in the West and
South as well as a proposal that a 2/3 vote of both houses be
required for any future declaration of war


Gen. Andrew Jackson led us to victory
Fought 2 wks AFTER peace treaty was
signed
 Returned
all
conquered territory to
prewar claimants
◦ Recognized pre-war
boundary between Canada
& U.S.
◦ We’re winners b/c we didn’t
lose any territory!!!
 Terms
very favorable
to U.S. why?
◦ British tired of war

Gained respect of other nations  had survived 2 wars with England

Accepted Canada was part of British Empire

Ended the Federalist party as a national force and even saw its
popularity decline in New England
◦ Talk of secession was denounced but the precedent regarding secession and
nullification that New England had set would later be used by the South

Americans Indians were forced to surrender land to white settlers
◦ Abandoned by the British

British blockade had helped promote American economic selfsufficiency
◦ We had been forced to build our own factories

War heroes like Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison emerged
as a new generation of political leaders

Feelings of nationalism grew stronger as did the belief that the future for
America lay to the West away from Europe