The War of 1812

Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa

■ Tecumseh the

Shawnee chief and his

brother the “prophet”

led resistance against

land hungry Americans.

■ Growth:

■ Population in Ohio:

1810: 230,000

1817: 300,000

Tecumseh’s confederacy

■ Solidified alliances with northern tribes and British agents and fur traders.

■ Goal: potential war against United States.

■ Angered as far back by the Governor of Indiana William Henry Harrison whose treaties consistently ripped off the Shawnee.

Shawnee split

■ “no tribe has the right to sell,

even to each other, much

less to strangers…sell to a

country! Why not sell the air,

the sky, the earth?”

Tecumseh

■ Harrison took advantage of

Tecumseh’s advantage to rip

off the Shawnee.

Battle of Tippecanoe

■ Made a hero out of

Harrison.

■ Strengthened

Tecumseh’s resolve to

hold back Americans.

Battle of Thames

■ Tecumseh’s Death.

■ Native American

resolved.

The Economic War

■ Jefferson’s Embargo

Act of 1807-no outside

commerce. Impact?

■ Madison’s Non-

Intercourse Act (1810)

forbade commerce with

only England and

France and their

colonies—limiting our

commerce.

Macon’s Bill #2

■ Offered an opportunity

to either Britain or

France…stop the

nonsense and trade.

France signed on first,

and then continued the

nonsense!

Elections of 1810: The War Hawks

■ Nearly everyone was disappointed with Madison’s miscalculation and the disruption in trade.

■ The nation responded with elections in 1810 that brought into power the War Hawks. Young Republicans eager to avenge the insult.

■ Henry Clay

Favoring War

■ War Hawks

■ South and West

■ Expansionists

War Hawks

■ Quadruple the defense budget!

Opposing the War

■ Vote in June 1812:

■ Favor of war: South and West

■ Against: Parts of New England and Mid Atlantic.

Ironic development

■ The British had announced just days earlier an end to

search and seizure of American ships.

■ Congress had acted, the momentum was great.

The War of 1812

□ War Begins

■ US enters war with many disadvantages

□ Small Army

□ Depended heavily on state militias

□ Commanders with experience (Rev. War) were too old to serve

□ Less than 20 ships in the Navy

■ Considered to be the second war for US independence

The War of 1812

■ Native American

conflicts of 1811

merged with larger

conflict with England

known as the War of

1812.

■ 1809-1812: Madison

teetered between

England and France as

the enemy as both were

attacking American

merchant ships.

Invasion of Canada

■ Thoughts were that a

quick victory could be

achieved in four

weeks…took 2.5 years.

■ Northern invasions

were blunders and

revealed our

unpreparedness

■ British and Native

American forces were

very powerful.

New England

■ Most were engaged in illegal

English trade and dragged

their feet on raising men.

■ They hoped to created

dissension amongst the

Americans.

■ Republicans painted a

picture of Federalist

disloyalty.

■ Election of 1812 a close

call…reflecting Federalist

anger.

Tide Turns

■ Major victory at York

(1812-Toronto)

■ Burned capital of

Canada.

■ Victories on Lake Erie

by Oliver Hazzard

Perry.

Andrew Jackson gains fame (part I)

■ 10,000 Creek Indians had allied with the British and put up a significant assault using Spanish support.

■ Jackson ended the Creek war he led 2500 militia against the Creek at the battle of Horshoe Bend.

■ Got them to relinquish thousands of square miles of land.

British Offensive

■ August of 1814: the

British sail into

Chesapeake Bay

throwing the Nation into

turmoil.

■ Capital is burned

8/24/1814

■ Dolly Madison’s famous

tale.

Star Spangled Banner

■ Francis Scott Key penned the famous song

after witnessing a fierce defense by the

Maryland militia from Fort McHenry.

September 1814

■ Marching from Canada

to New York the British

seemed to have every

advantage, artillery,

cavalry, navy…yet they

made key errors in the

battle of Plattsburgh

and retreated to

Canada.

Conclusions of Plattsburgh

■ The British concluded that any interaction

with this war would be very expensive and

have long term consequences.

Battle of New Orleans: Turning Point

New Orleans

■ Jackson and his militia

(Horseshoe Bend)

encountered British outside

New Orleans in January of

1815.

■ Most impressive victory in

US History.

■ 2,500 British casualties.

■ 80 Americans.

■ Jackson an instant hero.

■ The decisive battle of the

war.

Andrew Jackson

Treaty of Ghent

■ Signed prior to the Battle of New Orleans!

■ Neither country claimed victory—they may

have had it been signed later.

■ Americans yielded on Impressment.

■ US Gave up claims to Canada.

■ British abandoned aid to Indians.

■ Nothing said about shipping rights.

■ Commission created to analyze Canadian

border

Federalists Outraged

Hartford Convention

■ Discussed secession of

New England

■ Proposed abolishing 3/5

clause

■ Limit congressional

rights to embargo

■ Looked to break

Southern Power

■ Federalist Party

destroyed.

Winners and Losers

■ Winners:

■ War Hawks

■ Republican Party

■ Losers

■ Indians

■ Federalist Party