The War of 1812
European Underpinnings
The Tiger v The Shark
 In 1805, the world balance of power shook as
British ships beat Napoleon's navy at the
Battle of Trafalgar establishing British Naval
dominance
The Tiger v The Shark
 At the same time,
Napoleon defeated the
allied Russo- Austrian
forces at Austerlitz
that same year.
The Tiger v The Shark
 France now had unquestionable control of
the European continent, and Britain, held
unquestionable mastery of the seas.
 This threw off any Balance of Power in
Europe
The Tiger v The Shark
 The two European
powers took to fighting
each other indirectly,
through economic
warfare.
The Tiger v The Shark
 Napoleon created
the Continental
System which,
closed off all
European ports to
Britain to crush their
economy
The Tiger v The Shark
 In response, Britain passed the Orders in
Council in 1806.
 According to these regulations, US ships
could not land at a European port without
first stopping at a British port.
The Tiger v The Shark
 Napoleon retaliated with
a harsh measure,
demanding the seizure
of any ship that landed
in Europe after stopping
in Britain.
The Tiger v The Shark
 As you could imagine, these economic
measures wreaked havoc with the
American economy.
Not impressed by Impressments
 Always in need of men, British ships would
stop American ships, capture sailors
(sometimes violently), and force them to
serve in the British navy.
 This was referred to as impressment and
the sailors became known as "press-gangs"
Chesapeake Incident
 In 1807, off the Virginia
coast, the US Ship
Chesapeake was
approached by a British
ship, which demanded to
board so that it could
reclaim "deserters" who
were on the boat.
Chesapeake Incident
 The Americans refused. The British ship
opened fire on the Chesapeake, killing
and wounding several.
Chesapeake Incident
 The Chesapeake
was outgunned and
eventually had to
surrender four
sailors to the
British.
Chesapeake Incident
 What is the origin of the document (When was it
written, who wrote it)?
 What ship attacked the Chesapeake?
 Why was the Chesapeake's captain sure the
none of his crew were former British sailors?
 Who was in charge of the American Ship?
 How many casualties did the Chesapeake
suffer?
 What 4 men were taken and what did research
show about their citizen ship?
Chesapeake Incident
 This created a huge US outcry, but Jefferson
refused war, and instead opted for economic
retaliation with the embargo of 1807.
Dambargo
 The embargo backfired, shutting down New
England's trade and leaving the South and
West with piles of unsold goods.
 By 1808, illegal trade across the US-Canada
border was rampant.
Dambargo Repealed
 On March 1, 1809, the
Embargo Act was
repealed, to be replaced
with the Non-Intercourse
Act.
 This act allowed trade with
everyone except Britain
and France.
Dambargo Repealed
 Cleaning up the embargo mess was left to
James Madison, Jefferson's successor as
president.
Madison Steps In
 In the election of 1808,
James Madison managed
to win by publishing
dispatches from his term
as Jefferson's secretary of
state, proving that he was
tough on the British.
Madison Steps In
 On March 4, 1809, Madison became US
President.
Using the Embargo Repealed
Reading:
 What did either Britain or France have to do
to normalize trade with the US?
 According to the reading, why was the
embargo repealed for France and not
Britain?
Taking Sides
 In 1810, Congress passed Macon's Bill No.
2 declaring that if either France or Britain
normalized trade with the US, the US would
employ the Non-Intercourse Act against the
other power.
Taking Sides
 Napoleon took the
opportunity. In August of
1810, he quickly
promised that all
economic terms
restricting US imports
into Europe would soon
be lifted.
Taking Sides
 Madison reinstated the Non-Intercourse
Acts restricting trade with Britain in
November 1810.
 This brought the US to the brink of war
with Britain.
Madison’s 1811 State of the Union
 What did France do after we normalized
trade with them?
 What grievances did Madison make against
England?
 What are the “Orders” being referenced in
the speech?
The War Hawks
 In 1811 a new congress convened
 While it was made up primarily of DemocraticRepublicans, a new faction emerged
consisting of a powerful bloc of younger
congressmen from the south and frontier
west.
 They became known as the War Hawks.
The War Hawks
 Henry Clay of Kentucky
became the leader of the
War Hawks
 At age thirty-three, he was
elected Speaker of the
House by a War Hawk
dominated Congress.
Troubles in the Frontier
 Worried about American encroachment in
places such as Kentucky, which most Indian
tribes had considered a kind of "hunting
reserve" and buffer zone, was now filled with
white settlers.
The Warrior and the Prophet
 Two Shawnee Indian
leaders, Tecumseh
and his brother The
Prophet, felt that
action needed to be
taken to stop US
encroachment.
The Warrior and the Prophet
 The two rallied a broad Indian
alliance to fight the white settlers.
 The alliance promised to sign
over no more land to the whites
 The various tribes of the region
promised to work together for
common defense.
The Warrior and the Prophet v.
The Hawks
 Tecumseh's forces attacked the frontier
settlers
 The War Hawks in Congress became
convinced that the British were financing the
Indian alliance from Canada.
This Means War!!!
 Already incensed over
the British Orders in
Council and
impressment, the
assumed British
support of Tecumseh
pushed the War
Hawks to even
greater heights of
fervor.
This Means War!!!
 Congress mobilized its
armies to take on
Tecumseh's tribes.
 On November 7, 1811,
General William Henry
Harrison invaded and
torched the village of
Tippecanoe,
Tecumseh's
headquarters.
This Means War!!!
 With the Indians in
the frontier nearly
defeated, the War
Hawks moved to
attack the Indian's
supply base: British
Canada.
This Means War!!!
 The War Hawks simultaneously had their
eyes on what was left of Spanish Florida.
 June 1812, against the wishes of the protrade and Federalist Northeast, Congress
declared war on Britain.
Whether the United States shall continue passive
under these … accumulating wrongs, or, opposing
force to force in defense of their national rights,
shall commit a just cause into the hands of the
Almighty Disposer of Events, … is a solemn
question which the Constitution wisely confides to
the legislative department of the Government. In
recommending it to their early deliberations I am
happy in the assurance that the decision will be
worthy the enlightened and patriotic councils of a
virtuous, a free, and a powerful nation.
—President James Madison, War
Message to Congress in Washington,
June 1, 1812
Background
 It has been written that Madison's presidency was
dominated by a crisis with Great Britain, which for
years had been grossly violating American shipping
rights."
 This crisis over U.S. shipping rights actually began
while George Washington was president and grew
during Thomas Jefferson's term in office (1800-1808),
when Madison served as Secretary of State.
Background
 Between 1805-07, a large number of American ships were
seized and impressments of American sailors into service
on British ships increased, leading Congress to pass an
extreme measure, the Embargo Act of 1807.
 The act restricted trade with foreign nations. A state of war
that began in 1803 and would continue until after
Napoleon's abdication in 1814 resulted in a loss of
commerce that devastated the American economy while
doing little to change the policies of France and Britain.
Background
 In 1810 Napoleon's announced that France would
no longer seize American ships, which convinced
President Madison to allow trade with France.
 The announcement had conditions attached, and
France continued to interfere with American
shipping.
 In the end, however, the U.S. declared war only on
Great Britain.
Background
 On June 1, 1812, President Madison sent a
letter—later dubbed his war message—to both
houses of Congress.
 He listed a series of transgressions Great Britain
had committed against the U.S., and explained
his decision not to recommend war with France at
that time.
Madison’s War Message
 Why does Madison feel that the attack on
Canada is justified?
 Using Madison’s War Message, list the
grievances that the US had against Britain.
 How did Britain attempt to avoid war? Why
didn’t the US accept it?