UNIT 2 LECTURE NOTES
I. THE WAR OF 1812
A. THE WAR OF 1812
1.
James Madison
- Born in Virginia, 1751
- Attended Princeton University and became a lawyer.
- Father of the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
- Secretary of State during Jefferson’s Presidency
- President, 1809 to 1817
- Most known for US involvement during the War of 1812.
2.
War Hawks
- Following the Battle at Tippecanoe, Indians increased their attacks on settlers
o Many Americans believed the Native Americans were being encouraged and armed by
the British
- In 1812 many new southerners were elected to Congress
o Members like John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay were known as the War Hawks because
they favored a war with Britain
o They represented interests of farmers moving west
o Wanted to put a stop to Native American attacks
3.
Outbreak of War
- In June of 1812, President Madison sent a message urging Congress to declare war on Britain
o In addition to aiding Indians, Britain had interfered with U.S. shipping
o For years the U.S. had tried to stop British impressment of Americans
o British ships stopped American ships at sea, removed men, and forced them to serve in
the British navy
- Congress approved the call for war and thus began the War of 1812
- At the time, this could have been a foolish action
o U.S. had a very small army and navy
o No offers of help from foreign countries
o Fighting against powerful British and Indians
4.
The Land & Naval War
- The U.S. attempted a quick invasion into Canada, which failed in the summer of 1812
o Poorly equipped and led
- Victories:
o William Henry Harrison wins the Battle of the Thames in October 1813, defeated Brits
and Native American Tecumseh
o Andrew Jackson defeats the Creeks at Horsehoe Bend in March 1814
o Creeks soon signed Treaty of Fort Jackson in which they ceded 23 million acres of land,
most of present day Alabama
- At first Americans won a few battles at sea
o However, soon the British navy proved their might and the Americans lost several battles
o British vessels outnumbered American ships 20-1
o Britain captured or sunk several American ships (Chesapeake)
o The British blockaded the U.S. coast which hurt trade
5.
American Problems
- In 1814, Britain ended a long and difficult war against French Emperor Napoleon
o They were now allowed to turn full attention to the U.S.
o In the late summer of 1814, Britain sends 4,000 troops into the Chesapeake Bay region
-
6.
The Burning of D.C.
o These troops soon descend upon Washington, D.C. against little opposition
o President James Madison flees the capital
o On the evening of August 24, the British enter the city and set it on fire, including the
White House
o They then move to Baltimore and begin a siege of Fort McHenry
o Lawyer Francis Scott Key witnesses the all-night British bombardment and pens the Star
Spangled Banner
The Hartford Convention
- The war was controversial
o Critics called it Mr. Madison’s War
o The national treasury was empty
o The capitol was in ruins
o British blockade was crippling the economy
- Hartford Convention
o New Englanders had suffered the worst during the war
o In December 1814 New Englanders send delegates to Hartford to consider leaving the
union
o In the end they only called for constitutional amendments to increase power of New
England
7.
The War Ends
- Soon, British and Americans realized this was a war no one wanted
o Britain realized much like the revolution, this was a war they could not win
- On December 24, 1814 representatives of the two nations met in Belgium and signed the Treaty
of Ghent
o This treaty ends the war
o It does not resolve issues that led U.S. into war
o Nothing is done for impressment or respect of U.S. neutrality
o Many were happy with the end of war and some called it the second war for
independence
8.
New Orleans
- Although Treaty of Ghent officially ends the war, our greatest victory comes 2 weeks later
o It was a result of the slow communication of the times
o News of the treaty does not reach parts of the U.S. until February 1815
o On December 23, 1814 a British force tries to take New Orleans
- General Andrew Jackson successfully defends the city
o On January 8, additional British forces attempt to take the city again
o American riflemen easily win the battle in less than an hour
o The Battle of New Orleans allowed the Americans to end an unhappy war on a powerful
note
o It restored patriotism and made Andrew Jackson a national hero
B. POST WAR GOVERNMENT CHANGES
1.
Changing Jeffersonians
- Jeffersonian Democrats tied their hopes to the yeoman-artisan republic
o Americans could trade farm and plantation products for European manufactured goods
o A Yeoman is a free man owning his own farm
o the work requiring a great deal of effort or labor and came to be described as "yeoman's
work“
-
o Thus yeoman became associated with hard toil.
o Yeoman was also a rank or position in a noble household
Americans go further than that when in 1815, the Market Revolution transforms Jefferson’s
Republic into a capitalist society
o The Market Revolution led to a different America in the 1830’s and 40’s:
o New Cities and towns provided financing, retailing, manufacturing, and markets for food
o Commercial farms traded food for products that cities made and sold
o Although mostly left out of industrialization the south will become wealthy off of cotton,
but will receive many manufactured goods from European trading partners
2.
Effects of 1812
- The War of 1812 changed Congressional ideals
o War and problems with neutrality demonstrated the vulnerability of America’s
dependence on foreign economies
o After the War of 1812, there was a push to build enough factories to serve domestic
needs
o It demonstrated that the U.S. was unable to coordinate a fiscal and military effort, and
reliance on foreign trade made us dependent on Europe
- The 1815 Jeffersonian Republican Congress would charter a national bank, enact protective
tariffs, and begin debate on government paid construction of federal roads and canals
o The 1811 Republican congress would have ruled such things heresy
- They decided the nation must abandon Jeffersonian ideals of export oriented agragarianism and
encourage national independence
3.
The American System
- Nationalists Henry Clay would for many years promote the American System
o Protective tariffs
o Internal improvements
o National bank
o This system would foster national economic growth
- In 1816 Congress chartered a Second Bank of the United States
o headquartered in Philadelphia
o could create another bank whenever it wanted
o government would deposit funds in the bank
- After the economic nightmare of the war of 1812, most representatives wanted to
move towards a national currency and centralized control of money and credit
instead of the chaos of unregulated state banks
4.
Tariffs
- Tariffs are a critical piece to the American System
- In 1816 Congress creates the first overly protective tariffs in U.S. history
- Pushed heavily by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun (Warhawks), the Tariffs of 1816 raised tariffs
an average of 25%
o Aimed to protect the nation’s infant industry and the expense of foreign trade
o Congress considered American development of industry a patriotic necessity
o Tariffs for internal improvements would have a harder time passing (roads and canals)
- The War of 1812 brought to light the terrible condition and organization of U.S. roads, but
consensus was hard to reach
o Congress could not agree on one transportation plan
o Many of these were subject to local goals and ideas
o Many also doubted the constitutionality of federally funded roads
- James Madison and James Monroe both refused to support further improvements without an
amendment
- This left states to take up the cause which created an unbalanced road system throughout the
U.S.