The War of 1812

When Thomas Jefferson said that he wouldn’t run again for president in 1808:Republican Party nominated James MadisonFederalists nominated Charles Pinckney

Madison won easilyWhen he assumed office, tensions between

the U.S. and Britain were rising and it would fall to Madison to decide whether lead the U.S. to war or not

The Decision for War

Madison wanted to avoid warIn order to force the British to stop seizing

American ships Madison asked Congress to pass the Non-Intercourse Act (1809). This act forbade trade with France and Britain

while authorizing the president to reopen trade with whichever country removed its trade restrictions first

His idea was to play Britain and France against each other…unsuccessful at first

Economic Pressures

Madison’s strategies eventually worked and by early 1812 the refusal of the U.S. to buy British goods had begun to hurt the British economy.

British merchants pressured their government to repeal its restrictions on trade.

In June of 1812 Britain ended all restrictions on American trade

BUT… it was too late. Two days later, the British learned that the U.S. had declared war

Economic Pressures

Most members of Congress who wanted war came from the South and West.

These people were nicknamed the War Hawks by their opponents.

Henry Clay of Kentucky, John Calhoun of South Carolina, and Felix Grundy of Tennessee were the leaders of the War Hawks.

The War Hawks

Henry Clay

John Calhoun

Felix Grundy

Believed that economic pressure had failed and the nation’s reputation was in danger if it did not go to war to stop the British from seizing American sailors.

Americans also believed that trade restrictions had hurt Southern planters and Western farmers because most of their income came from shipping tobacco, rice, wheat, and cotton overseas.

They also blamed the British for clashes with the Native Americans Americans blamed the British for supporting Native

American efforts against them along the frontier

War Hawks Beliefs

Tecumseh was a Shawnee leader who believed that Natives needed to unite in order to protect their land.

While Tecumseh worked for political union, his brother Tenskwatawa aka the Prophet worked for the spiritual rebirth of the Native American culture

William Henry Harrison (governor of the Indiana Territory) sent troops to the Tippecanoe River to stop Tecumseh’s movement (while Tecumseh was in the South recruiting)

Tenskwatawa sent troops to intercept U.S. troopsThis battle of Tippecanoe (1811) resulted in Harrison’s

victory over the Prophet & Tecumseh’s attempt to unite the Natives of the west. Tecumseh and other Natives’ confidence was shattered so

they fled to Canada

Tecumseh and Tippecanoe

Some Americans thought this proved that the British were supporting the Natives

Western farmers argued that war with Britain would enable the U.S. to seize Canada and end Native attacks

In June of 1812 President Madison asked Congress to declare war

Tecumseh’s flight to Canada

Why did the South and the West favor war with Great Britain?

British trade restrictions hurt Southern planters and farmers because they earned much of their income from selling crops overseas. Western

farmers and settlers also blamed the British for supporting Native American efforts against them along the frontier.

The nation was not ready for war, however.Military:

Navy only had 16 shipsArmy had fewer than 7,000 troops

Financially:The year before the war Republicans had shut

down the Bank of the U.S. by refusing to renew its charter

This made it difficult for the U.S. to borrow money from banks since most private bankers were in the Northeast (opposed war and would not lend money)

Preparation for War

Despite the nation’s military and financial weakness, Madison ordered the military to invade Canada

American military leaders planned attacks from three directions:From Detroit, Niagara Falls, and up the

Hudson River valley toward Montreal.All three attacks failed

Invasion of Canada

The next year, the U.S. had more success after Commodore Oliver Perry secretly arranged for the construction of a fleet on the coast of Lake Erie in Ohio.

The four- hour long battle resulted in a British surrender.

By the end of 1813 however, the U.S. still had not conquered any territory in Canada

Perry’s Victory on Lake Erie

Why was conquering Canada an important American goal in the War of 1812?

Many Americans believed that controlling Canada would end British support for Native

Americans and thus end Native American attacks on the frontier.

While attention was on Canada:British troops landed within marching distance

of Washington, D.C. American militia defending the capital fled along

with Madison and other government officialsBritish set fire to the White House and the

CapitolThen they prepared an attack on Baltimore

British Forces Attack Washington

Unlike Washington, D.C., Baltimore was ready for the British

Baltimore militia caused many British casualties

After bombarding Fort McHenry throughout the night of September 13th, the British abandoned their attack on the city.

Attack on Baltimore

Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer was held on a British ShipHe was happy to see

that the U.S. flag was still flying above the fort at dawn

So he wrote a poem about the battle which became the U.S. national anthem

The National Anthem

The British offensive made New Englanders even more opposed to the war

December 1814, Federalists in the New England region were determined to become independent of the U.S.

The Essex Junto wanted to secede, but this was too extreme for moderate Federalists

The Hartford Convention called for several amendments to increase the area’s political power

New England

Less than a month later (January 1815) the British fleet landed near New Orleans

American Commander General Andrew JacksonCame up with a quick strategy of using cotton

bales These thick bales absorbed British bulletsBritish were advancing towards U.S. troops in the

open (easy targets)

Battle of New Orleans/Horseshoe Bend

Decisive (clear) U.S. victoryMade Andrew Jackson a national heroHelped to destroy the Federalist Party

Nationalism-strong feelings of patriotism existed at this pointFederalists appeared unpatriotic and divisive Soon the party completely died out

New Orleans Results

Andrew Jackson

Negotiations began in Belgian city of Ghent before the major battles of 1814

December 24, 1814 negotiators signed the Treaty of Ghent ending the War of 1812Treaty restored prewar boundaries Did not mention neutral rights and

impressmentsThe war increased the nation’s prestige

overseas and brought a new spirit of patriotism and national unity

Treaty of Ghent

Reaffirmed American independence and further convinced the U.S. to maintain a policy of neutrality in European affairs.

Destroyed Indian resistance leading to American expansion in the South and West

Exposed American militarily weakness and made clear the importance of better transportation systems

Destroyed the Federalist Party The war stimulated domestic manufactures.

Results of the War of 1812