The War of 1812
I. The Road to the War of 1812
A. When England & France resumed war in 1803 & violated U.S. neutrality, Jefferson approved the Embargo of 1807
1. The embargo restricting U.S. trade with England & France
2. Jefferson contradicted his own principles of weak gov’t & liberty
3. The embargo was unsuccessful
a. The embargo hurt NE shipping more than it hurt England or France
b. Embargo required a larger government to prevent smuggling
B. In 1808, James Madison was elected president & proved equally ineffective in gaining recognition of neutrality
1. The Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 was ineffective
2. Macon’s Bill #2 in 1810 was ineffective
C. Republican War Hawks called for war, but Federalists were opposed…War against England was declared in 1812
II. James Madison & the War of 1812
A. The War of 1812
1. The U.S. was unprepared for war with England: refused to raise taxes, had a small army & government
2. The early campaigns did not go well for the American army or navy
B. Key Battles & Strategies
1. The British unsuccessfully invaded the U.S. through Canada after the Battle of Plattsburg
3. The British successfully attacked the Chesapeake, burned the capital, & bombed fort McHenry in Baltimore
4. The U.S. won at the Battle of New Orleans after the war was over making Andrew Jackson a national hero
C. At the Hartford Convention in 1814, NE Federalists called for Constitutional changes to preserve their power:
1. Wanted to restrict Congressional war powers, limit the president to one term, & end the 3/5 compromise
2. The Federalists appeared disloyal & never recovered
III. Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812
A. The Treaty of Ghent (1814) did not address U.S. neutrality or British impressment
B. The effects of the war:
1. Ended British-Indian alliances in the west
2. Led Spain to sign the Adams-Onis Treary in 1819 (ceded Florida & redrew the southern U.S. border)
3. The Federalists were fatally wounded & never recovered
Name ____________________
Date ___________ Pd _____
APUSH
The American Revolution & the War of 1812
American Revolution
The War of 1812
Long-Term Causes
Long-Term Causes
Spark
Spark
British
British
American
American
British
British
American
American
Causes of the
War
Strategy
Advantages/
Disadvantages
Turning Point
Battles & Their
Impact
Treaty & the
Terms of the
Treaty
Impact/Effects of
the War
Essential Question: To what degree was the War of 1812 a “second American Revolution”?
The American Revolution & the War of 1812
American Revolution
Causes of the
War
Long-Term Causes
 French & Indian War; British replacement
of Salutary Neglect with Parliamentary
Sovereignty;
 Taxation policies (Grenville & Townshend
Acts); Conflicts (Boston Massacre & Tea
Party, Intolerable Acts, Lexington &
Concord)
Long-Term Causes
 British refusal to recognize American
neutrality & trade rights in Europe during
times of war with France; British
impressment of U.S. sailors; The failure of
American diplomacy & trade restrictions
(Embargo Act of 1807, Non-Intercourse
Act, 1809)
Spark:
 Common Sense & Declaration of Indep
Spark:
 The failure of Macon’s Bill #2 & pressure
by War Hawks
British
 3-pronged attack through Canada,
Chesapeake, & New Orleans; Blockade
the U.S. coast
British
 Use its superior army & navy to defeat the
Continental Army in a decisive battle; Rally
Southern loyalists to oppose the war
Strategy
Advantages/
Disadvantages
Turning Point
Battles & Their
Impact
American
 Avoid a decisive battle; Guerilla warfare
tactics with colonial militias; Ally with the
French
American
 Fight the British in Canada
British
 Superior military, better generals, more
manufacturing…BUT had long supply lines
& did not know the terrain well
British
 Superior military…BUT England was also
engaged in war with France that limited its
ability to send resources to America
American
 Fighting for independence, colonial unity,
did not have to win a decisive battle…BUT
had an inferior military
American
 Strong patriotism…BUT weak military,
small national gov’t, unwilling to raise
taxes to fund war

Bunker Hill proved that the American
colonists were willing to fight a full-scale
war

Plattsburg, NY—the Americans turned
away the British attack via Canada


Chesapeake—the British burned D.C.
Saratoga—the American “victory” allowed
the French to commit as allies

New Orleans—the Americans “defeated”
the British & led to feelings of victory in
the War of 1812

Treaty & the
Terms of the
Treaty
Yorktown—the surrender of British
general Cornwallis effectively ended the
fighting
Treaty of Paris, 1783 granted the USA full
independence, Americans gained all lands
between the Atlantic & Mississippi River
(except Spanish Florida), British agreed to
remove troops from the Ohio River valley (but
never did),
 Social changes: eliminated the idea of an
American aristocracy, abolitionist
sentiment grew, Republican Motherhood
Impact/Effects of
the War
The War of 1812
 States created written constitutions
 The Articles of Confederation were
adopted
Treaty of Ghent ended the war but did not
address American neutrality or British
impressment
 Ended all Indian-British alliances in
western lands
 Scared Spain into signing the Adams-Onis
Treaty in 1819
 The lack of Federalist loyalty was the fatal
blow to the party