The Second War for
American Independence
THE WAR OF 1812
CAUSES OF THE WAR





France and Britain were at War
Both France and Britain “impressed”
American sailors
Impressment - seizing Americans at
sea and drafting them into their navy
“War Hawks” pressured US Congress
Westerners thought British were
supplying weapons to Indians
JEFFERSON’S RESPONSE
 Embargo
Act of 1807 – prohibited all
American trade with foreign ports
 Greatly
hurt American shipping and the
US economy
 New Englanders hated Jefferson (“Mad
Tom”)
MADISON’S RESPONSE
James Madison elected in 1808
 Realized that Embargo Act hurt US much
more than France or Britain
 Passed the “Non-Intercourse Act”

 Re-opened
American trade with all nations
except France and Britain
 Would trade with France and Britain if they
would respect US neutral rights
THE “WAR HAWKS” CALL FOR WAR
War Hawks-- New, young Republicans
came to Congress from “frontier” states
 War was the only way to

 defend
American honor
 gain Canada
 destroy Native American Resistance
PROBLEMS WITH NATIVE AMERICANS
Settlers pushing the Indians further
westward, creating more conflicts,
thought British were supplying arms
 Shawnee decided to fight back

 Leaders:
Tecumseh & Prophet
 attempted to unite all tribes east of the
Mississippi

1811 -- Battle of Tippecanoe: General
William Henry Harrison defeated
Tecumseh
WAR IS DECLARED
 June
18, 1812 -- Madison asked Congress
for a declaration of war
 War was declared, before Britain’s offer to
stop was received
 Critics referred to “Mr. Madison’s War”
MAJOR EVENTS OF 1812-1813
 1812
-- US invaded Canada in three
places but failed to take over
 Burned
the Canadian City of York
(Toronto)
 1813
-- British Fleet destroyed on
Lake Erie
 American privateers damaged British
shipping
 British navy blockaded US Coast
MAJOR EVENTS OF 1814

Chesapeake Campaign
 1814 -- British burned Washington,
DC
First Lady Dolley Madison rescued
valuables from the White House
 Battle of Fort McHenry -- British
bombard Baltimore, MD
Francis Scott Key -- wrote The Star
Spangled Banner after the Battle
of Fort McHenry
MORE EVENTS OF 1814-1815

Hartford Convention -- Group of New England
Federalists were going to Hartford Convention to oppose
war, but the war ended before the convention.

Treaty of Ghent signed -- December 24, 1814

1815 -- Battle of New Orleans


Jackson and the Americans defeated the British, Jackson
became a hero
militarily insignificant because the war is already over
RESULTS OF THE WAR
 Britain
and US call it a draw -- no one wins
 December 1814 -- Treaty of Ghent is
signed
 Hostilities
cease
 all borders go back to pre-war status
 all land returned to original owners
 US
Independence is won for good