WAR OF 1812 – “Madison’s War”

CHAPTER 9 SECTION 4

UNPREPARED FOR WAR

• Over-confident• Lacked experienced soldiers and leadership• Not rolling in money

Reasons for fighting

• Impressment• Raiding/ looting our trade ships• British helping Native Americans• Manifest Destiny – we are fated to expand

(Canada)• Politics - Democratic-Republicans anti-British

Timing is everything

• May 1812 - New Prime Minister of Britain• June 16, 1812 – British repeal trade

restrictions – message sent to U.S. (4-6 weeks)• June 18, 1812 – Congress declares war on

Britain

Poor start

• Lost our first few battles

Turning points

• Our Navy winning control over Lake Erie• Tecumseh killed at Battle of Thames• Battle of Horseshoe Bend (south- Andrew

Jackson)

Sir Francis Scott Key

• Wrote a poem later known as “Star Spangled Banner”

• About the attack on Baltimore• Flag was still flying over Fort McHenry

Treaty of Ghent

• Signed December 1814 in Belgium• Only ended the war• Did not mention impressment or raiding ships• Did not give new lands to U.S.

Battle of New Orleans

• After the Treaty of Ghent• Bloody battle that made Jackson a hero

Federalist Party

• Kind of goes away after the war.