James Madison
4th President 18091817
Physical Appearance
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Stood 5’4” and
weighed 100lbs.
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Careful in his
appearance and usually
dressed in black
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Modest, soft
spoken and shy
Other Images
Marriage
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Married the
widow, Dolley Payne
Todd
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He was 43 when
met her
She was vivacious and
made up for her
husband’s social
inadequacy.
American Statesman
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Acutely Intelligent
Served in Continental
Congress
“Father of the
Constitution”
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Served 4 terms in
House of
Representatives
Introduced the “Bill of
Rights”
Secretary of State
under Jefferson
The Presidency of James Madison
 Defined
by the War of 1812
 “America’s
2nd War for Independence
 “The Forgotten War”
 Finally…”Mr. Madison’s War”
War of 1812
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Causes
Of
War
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Impressment (British
locked in war with
Napoleon and needed
sailors)
British restraint on
neutral trade
British support for
Native attacks on the
frontier
The War Hawks
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Newly elected
Congressman who
pushed for war.
Many from the West
Including Henry Clay
of Kentucky
War Hawks
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John C. Calhoun of
South Carolina
Felix Grundy of
Tennessee
Readings
Reasons to Go to
War
 Madison’s War
Message to
Congress
 War Should be
Declared
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Reasons NOT to
Go to War
 War!
 An Address to the
People of the
Eastern United
States
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President asks for War
June
1, 1812 he asks for a
“Declaration of War.”
The Votes are In. War!
House votes 79 to 49 on June 4
 Senate votes 19 to 13 on June 18
 Not one Federalist in either house
votes for war!
 Irony: Britain repealed “Orders in
Council” which had prohibited trade with
France.
 Word got to Madison too late!
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The Federalist’s Role or Lack Thereof…
Federalist’s ships were being harassed,
but they didn’t support war!
 The War Hawks didn’t suffer from
impressment, yet they cried for war!
 Federalist's Pro-British position and hatred
of anything Republican decided their vote
 They neither funded nor sent troops to the
effort
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Fighting the War
The war was conducted in four theatres of
operations:
 The Atlantic Ocean
 The Great Lakes and the Canadian frontier
 The coast of the United States
 The Southern States
Famous People and Engagements
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The USS Constitution
defeats the British
HMS Guerriere
The Constitution was
nicknamed “Old
Ironsides”
Oliver Hazard Perry
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Battle of Lake Erie
"We have met the
enemy and they are
ours."
1813 victory gave US
control of the lake
Burning of Washington
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August 24, 1814
British wanted to hold
President’s House for
ransom
No one was home so
they burned it.
Gilbert Stuart Painting
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Saved by Dolley
Madison
Washington Burning
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Library of Congress
burned
Jefferson sold his
library to Government
to help replace the
losses
$23,950 for his 6,487
books,
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A hurricane and
tornado hit the city
This helped to limit
damage
Our National Anthem
Baltimore
 Leaving Washington
British head for
Baltimore
 Repulsed
 Unable to take Ft.
McHenry
 Star Spangled Banner
 By Francis Scott Key
Battle for Baltimore
Battle of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
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The American victory
at the Battle of Lake
Champlain was a
significant turning
point in the War of
1812.
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Despite superior
enemy firepower, an
American naval force
was able to defeat a
British squadron in
September 1814 at
Plattsburgh Bay in
Lake Champlain.
Battle of New Orleans
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Occurred 2 weeks
after the war was over
British took 2000
casualties to
Americans 100
Made Andrew Jackson
a national hero and
rides it to the
Presidency
Jackson’s force was
composed of
 US Army Troops
 Militia
 Pirates
 Free Blacks
 Native Americans
Image of the Battle
Treaty of Ghent
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Signed on Christmas
Eve 1814 and marked
the end of the war.
Didn’t settle the issue
of impressment
Neither side lost or
gained territory
Result was status quo
Results of the War
No clear cut victor
 Earned America Respect. In the future
Europe would negotiate rather than go to
war
 In the Ohio Valley hostile Indian Tribes
were defeated
 More of a victory over Native Americans
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Results Politically
Marked the end of Federalist influence
 A sense and spirit of Nationalism and pride
prevailed
 Ushered in the “Era of Good Feeling”
 1820 Monroe would run unopposed
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Long Term Results
America became enamored with military
glory and heroes.
 5 veterans of the war would become
President
 Psychologically it prepared the nation to
use power.
 Turned Republican Policies on its ear.
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The Hartford Convention
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The War deeply
divided the nation
The Federalist Party,
centered in New
England ridiculed “Mr.
Madison’s War”
Delegates from the
region met in Hartford
in December of 1814
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Some talked of
secession and a
separate peace with
England
3 commissioners were
set to Washington
with grievances
But the issue of
nullification reared it’s
ugly head again.
Internal Struggles
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Native American
Resistance
Thought they were
loosing way of life
Oft aided by British
who supplied them
with guns
Tecumseh didn’t
want more landed
negotiated away
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Tecumseh
Leader of the Native
American Resistance
Bother, The Prophet
was a shaman,
centered in
Prophetstown
Tecumseh
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Stressed strength in
Unity
Stressed “Red People”
1st then tribes
See his speech: Sleep
not Longer, O
Choctaws and
Chickasaws
Summarize his
argument.
Composition Book
Battle of Tippecanoe
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William Henry
Harrison
Governor and military
commander of Indian
Territory
Harrison disturbed by
organizing Genius of
the brothers.
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Given regular
troops to be used
only for defense
Harrison marched his
troops to
Prophetstown on the
Tippecanoe River
A Fabricated “Defensive”
Counteroffensive
Camped near the town on November
7, 1811
 Left camp without early morning
sentries, despite knowing this is when
Indians typically attacked.
 They did, inflicted and took heavy
casualties
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Tippecanoe Unchallenged
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Harrison attacks
Prophetstown
Tecumseh and the
Prophet not present
Harrison rushed
reports to
Washington calling
it a victory
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Reports later
contradict his account
Secretary of War,
Eustis thought it mad
for troop moral to
investigate
Madison distrusts
Harrison who rides
his legend to the
White House
The Prophet
Images