Bellwork
How did the issues between Britain and
France almost drag the U.S. into a war
(consider Napoleon and the issues of British
impressment)?
American History
Section 8, Unit 5
War of 1812
Objectives
• Identify the occurrences overseas that lead up
to conflicts in North America
• Discuss issues regarding the succession of
James Madison as president
• Discuss and map out the War of 1812 while
focusing on two main phases of the war
• Identify the effects of the Treaty of Ghent and
the Hartford Convention
Fears Grow
• While the U.S. expanded in borders, issues
were growing even larger across the rest of
the world.
• These issues would continue to grow and
threaten the U.S.
Fears Grow
• Since 1783, the U.S. had been trading with
merchants in Northern Africa.
• However, the increase of pirates in the region
convinced many Americans of the need for a
powerful navy.
Fears Grow
• The conviction to have a
stronger navy grew
stronger as Napoleon’s
war in Europe spilled into
the Atlantic Ocean.
• In 1807, Britain passed
the Orders in Council,
which forbade neutral
vessels from trading with
France or even entering
ports under French
control.
Orders in Council
• Napoleon reacted by
threatening to seize all
foreign ships that
cooperated with the
British navy.
• Once again, America
was caught in the cross
fire between France and
Britain.
1807
• In the summer of 1807, events took an ugly turn.
• Britain, who was facing a manpower shortage in their
Royal Navy, stepped up it’s practice of impressment.
– On June 22, the captain of the British ship Leopard
demanded their right to board the U.S.
Chesapeake to search for British deserters.
Chesapeake Incident
• The captain of the Chesapeake refused, and
the British opened fire, killing 3 U.S. sailors
and wounding 18 others.
• The Chesapeake incident outraged many
Americans.
Question: How do you think President Jefferson responded?
Embargo Act
• While President Jefferson wanted to maintain
U.S. neutrality, despite his disagreeing with
British actions.
• In an effort at “peaceful coercion”, at Jefferson's
urging, Congress passed the Embargo Act of
1807.
– This Act stopped shipments of American products to
foreign ports.
– The goal was to hurt foreign nations by attacking their
economies.
Consequences
• However, New England
merchants and western
farmers opposed the
measure, as well as
those who lost work
because of it.
– While the embargo was
meant to hurt foreign
markets, American
producers lost the ability
to sell to those who
bought most of their
products.
Jefferson’s embargo only
weakened the American
economy, as Britain and France
had empires strong enough to
withstand a loss of trade with
the U.S.
James Madison
• In 1809, James Madison
succeeded Jefferson as
President.
• Initially, he kept the
embargo in place, but
as public pressure grew,
he repealed the
embargo act.
Non-Intercourse Act
• Following this, Congress passed the NonIntercourse Act, which only prohibited U.S.
trade with Great Britain and France.
– While this was a slight improvement, it did little to
improve the situations of Americans.
Non-Intercourse Act
• Great Britain and France, who were both
already very powerful, were barely
affected by an embargo against them.
The law ultimately hurt Americans more.
• As the situation became worse, war with
Britain, France, or both seemed
inevitable.
Westward problems
• While international issues brewed, events at
home made the situation even worse.
• Hunters, trappers, and farmers in the west,
who sought new land in British Canada and
Spanish Florida, moved westward.
– As they moved, they moved onto lands occupied
by Native Americans.
Tensions rise
• As settlers moved
westward, tensions rose
between the settlers and
Native American groups,
who looked for Great
Britain for assistance.
• Westerners also became
alarmed by a Native
leader named Tecumseh
(tuh-kuhm-suh).
Tecumseh
• Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief who rallied the
Indian Nations east of the Mississippi river,
urged Natives not to sell their land to settlers.
“Sell a country!? Why not sell the air, the clouds, and the great
sea?... Did not the great Spirit make them all for the use of his
children?”
• Tecumseh was successful in gaining support.
– As his numbers grew, settlers pressured the
government to take action.
Attack against the Natives
• In 1811, when Tecumseh
was in the South seeking
support from Native groups,
General William Henry
Harrison decided to move
against Tecumseh and his
stronghold.
• However, on November 7,
the Natives attacked first by
targeting an army camp.
– However, their attack went
against Tecumseh’s warning
that the time to fight was not
right.
Battle of Tippecanoe
• The Battle of Tippecanoe ended in defeat for
the Native Americans.
• When Tecumseh returned from the South in
early 1812, he saw his dream of a united
confederation shattered.
– Instead, he faced a border war between Native
Americans and settlers.
Britain's Aid
• The British were discovered to have supplied
Tecumseh’s forces with weapons (from
Canada– which they still controlled under the
Treaty of Paris).
• Upon this, the clamor for war against British
rose in Congress. Issues grew within the
Congress.
Calls for War
• To reduce tensions the British suspended the
Orders in Council in 1812, but the news hadn’t
reached the U.S. in time.
• By the time the Orders were suspended,
President Madison asked for a declaration of
war against British.
Question: Why did Madison have to ask Congress to declare
war?
Calls for War
• To support his push for
war, Madison cited
repeated violations of the
U.S.’ neutral rights,
including impressment of
American sailors, and
British support of the
Natives in the frontier.
• After some debate, both
the House and Senate
voted to support the
declaration of war.
Splits in Congress
• The vote for war was split almost exactly along
sectional lines.
• The South and the West– which suffered from
agricultural depression and Native troubles
that they blamed on Britain– supported war.
• The Middle Atlantic and New England states,
however, opposed the declaration. These
states survived on continuing trade between
them and Britain.
Beginnings of the War of 1812
• The United States was not
prepared for war. The
Republicans were
reluctant to tax and they
reduced the strength of
the military.
– Despite Britain's great sea
power, the American Navy
however did enjoy the
advantages of well-trained
sailors and officers, along
with a generally high
morale.
African Soldiers
• Although the government of the time made
little effort to enlist blacks, African Americans–
enslaved and free– took part in the war.
• Many fugitive slaves, hoping to win their
freedom, fought for the Americans or British.
– At least 1/10th of the naval crews on the Great
Lakes were made up of African Americans.
War of 1812– First Phase
• American war strategy focused on the
conquest of Canada by land and sea.
• With the British preoccupied by their struggle
with Napoleon, who was increasing his power
in Europe, Americans were confident of a
quick victory.
– However, repeated attempts to invade Canada
failed.
Successes
• The United States did enjoy early successes at
sea.
• In the first eight months of the war, U.S.
frigates won many victories against British
warships.
– Meanwhile, American pirates seriously disrupted
British trade and commerce by raiding British
ships across the Atlantic.
Successes
• The U.S. navy achieved
even greater success on
the Great Lakes.
– In 1813, a small naval
force commanded by
Cpt. Oliver Hazard Perry
won control of Lake Erie,
helping to secure
America’s northwestern
border.
Battle of Thames
• Encouraged by naval victories, General
Harrison crossed into Canada.
• With some 4,500 troops, he defeated the
British and their Native American allies at the
Battle of Thames.
– The British hold on the Northwest Territory was
finally broken.
War of 1812- Second Phase
• Soon after ending it’s
war with France in early
1814 (after Napoleon
was removed as ruler of
France), Britain sent
14,000 reinforcements
to Canada.
Napoleon was exiled to
the island of Elba and
then later to St. Helena
(during his second exile)
War of 1812– Second Phase
• The British planned a new attack:
1. Invade the U.S. from the North through Canada
2. Invade from the South through New Orleans
3. Raid points along the Atlantic Coast to disrupt
American commerce
Question: What is going on in this
picture? Who are the men pictured
here? What is that building in the
background?
Burning of the Capital
• On August 24, 1814, British forces struck
Washington, D.C.
• Within a day, they captured the city, burned
the executive mansion (White House), and
other major buildings before moving on.
– While the President was not in the mansion at the
time, his wife- Dolley Madison- was. She was able
to escape before the enemy attacked.
Next attack
• The next target for a
coastal assault was the
port city of Baltimore, in
the Chesapeake Bay.
• There, British vessels
bombarded Fort
McHenry, but the fort was
able to withstand the
attack. This attack was a
setback for the British.
– The holding of Fort
McHenry became the basis
for the song “The StarSpangled Banner”.
New Orleans
The British then
assembled about
7,500 troops to
strike at New
Orleans.
New Orleans
• General Andrew Jackson ,
a ruthless “Indian-fighter”
and commander on the
frontier militia, led the
American forces that
included both whites and
free African Americans.
– The U.S. troops prepared
New Orleans by building
embankments of earth,
fortified by cannons.
Gen. Andrew Jackson
New Orleans (cont.)
• When the invasion finally came in 1815, the
well-protected U.S. sharpshooters and artillery
easily won the Battle of New Orleans.
– Few Americans died, but British causalities topped
2,000.
– Jackson’s use of African Americans initially scared
white troops, but their heroism was noted by
Jackson who said those troops “…surpassed [his]
hopes.”
The Treaty of Ghent
• Tragically, the Battle of New Orleans occurred
after a peace negotiation that had produced
the Treaty of Ghent– which was signed on
Christmas Eve, 1814.
Treaty of Ghent
• Because news of victory at New Orleans came
at the same time of the peace accord, many
Americans assumed the victory had caused
the treaty.
• General Andrew Jackson did nothing to
correct this view, and later used his fame as a
war hero to win political power (and become
President).
Treaty of Ghent
• Neither side gained much from the treaty.
• By the terms of the treaty, prisoners of war
were exchanged, and territorial boundaries
that existed before were restored.
• Regardless, the war was a turning point for
the U.S., as it consolidated control over the
Northwest Territory through the defeat of the
Native Americans and the removal of any
remaining British allies.
Treaty of Ghent
• The Treaty of Ghent did
have one long term
benefit, however.
• The treaty resulted in
peace between Great
Britain and the United
States, which marked the
beginning of a long
partnership between the
two nations that would
continue to exist for
decades.
Domestic Issues
• The war, however, heavily divided the nation
along sectional lines.
• New England Federalists, who opposed the
war, called a convention in Hartford
Connecticut to actually secede from the Union
and weaken the South.
– These Federalists wanted to negotiate a separate
peace treaty with Britain.
Hartford Convention
• While the move towards secession failed, the
Federalists were able to push for a
constitutional amendment to weaken the
southern states and Congress.
• However, the Federalists faced a problem with
the Convention:
– It was done after the Treaty of Ghent, but before
the victory at New Orleans.
Hartford Convention
• Federalist delegates
were unaware of the
peace treaty or victory.
– When they arrived to
deliver their proposal to
weaken congress, the
news of their convention
was weighed against
both the already existing
peace treaty and the
victory at New Orleans.
A political cartoon making fun of the
Hartford Convention– the three men in
the top left represent Massachusetts,
Connecticut, and Rhode Island… and
look whose arms they’re planning on
jumping into.
Fall of the Federalist Party
• The Hartford Convention spelled the end for
the Federalist Party.
• In the wake of U.S. victory at New Orleans
(and a successful treaty), the convention
appeared treasonous.
• The party was never able to recover from the
charge of disloyalty and collapsed a few years
after the War of 1812.
Review Objectives
• Identify the occurrences overseas that lead up
to conflicts in North America
• Discuss issues regarding the succession of
James Madison as president
• Discuss and map out the War of 1812 while
focusing on two main phases of the war
• Identify the effects of the Treaty of Ghent and
the Hartford Convention
Questions
• If you have any questions, please ask now.
Next Lesson
• In the next lesson, we are going to discuss the
rise of Nationalism in the United States.
Reading Review
Please read the “American perspective on
the War of 1812” and answer the questions
in the text.