America’s Second War of
Independence?
Events leading up to the War of 1812
• French Revolution, 1789
•Washington Proclamation of Neutrality, 1793
• British seizure of the Delaware, 1794
• Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796
• XYZ Affair, 1797
• Louisiana Purchase, 1803
• British Orders in Council, 1806-blockaded Europe
• Napoleon’s Continental System, 1807
-embargo of England
•Chesapeake-Leopard Incident, 1807
-start to a united nation
Trade Acts dealing with the Br.-Fr. Issue
•Embargo Act of 1807-1809
-no trade with anyone, TJ tries to avoid War
-1790-$20 mil ($970 Bill-2013)
1807-$108 mil ($4.1 Trill-2013)
1808-$22 mil ($777 Bill-2013)
-VERY unpopular! Why? Where?
• The Non-Intercourse Act of 1809-1810
-Madison wants to keep the US neutral
-trade with all but England and France
-would trade with Eng. or Fr. If they
would respect America’s neutral rights
-does not work, which led to
• Macon’s Bill, No. 2, 1810-1811
-a poor moment in diplomatic history
-Napoleon took advantage of this
which led to
•Non-Importation 1811-1812
-no imports from England
Causes of the War of 1812
• Free seas and trade (Empire of Liberty)
 Harassment of shipping
 Impressment--From 1808-1811 over 6,000 Sailors
• Frontier pressures—British aid to the Indians
• War Hawks—Henry Clay (KY), John Calhoun (SC)
Divided Nation
• Election of 1812 - Madison and De Witt Clinton-NY
• Issue was the war—”Mr. Madison’s War”
• “War that never needed to happen”
• Madison was the most inept President to lead us
into War
•
•
•
•
No army and a weak navy (US-12 ships, GB-800)
no clear-cut way to raise $
NE did not want to fight England
Hartford Convention
•12/14-1/15
•Plot secession based on the issue of state’s rights
Hopes for victory
• Napoleon’s continued
success in Europe
-we are fighting
Britain’s JV’s
• Campaign against
Canada
• Madison gets the
people who fought
in the Rev. to be in
charge
• England wanted to cut
off NE from the rest
The War of 1812 is probably the most little known
War in American History. Why do you think
this is true?
Looking back at the causes of the war, are any of
these legitimate reasons?
What were the two sides TRULY fighting over?
Why were the stakes so incredibly high?
War Plan
•1812--Three-pronged attack
on Canada—failed
•1813--Battle of Lake Erie
Oliver Perry, U.S. has
control of the Great
Lakes for the 1st time
•1813--Battle of Thames
Tecumseh killed
William Henry Harrison
1812-1813-One or two good
wins, rest debacles
The Roof is on Fire…



1814—Napoleon
captured by British,
allows them to focus
on America
In August 1814, British
Forces Sailed into
Chesapeake Bay and
capture Washington
D.C.
They burn the White
House and the Capitol
Fort McHenry and New Orleans



9/13/14--America
withstands the British
bombardment of Ft
McHenry
1/8/15—America
defeats British at the
Battle of New Orleans
12/24/14—Treaty of
Ghent signed ending
the War
Treaty of Ghent
• status quo ante bellum, or the exact same
state of affairs as before the war
• no mention of impressment or change in
land
•on paper, it was as if the war was never
fought
• Recognition of the U.S. as an independent
nation
-ex: up to this point, American Wars were
dictated by European wars, not so for the
next Century
If The War of 1812 ended in a tie,
why was it important?
•
End of the Federalist Party
- Hartford Convention and Burr-Hamilton
• Growth of American industry
-All the trading acts and the war forced the
country to be self-sufficient (N.E. began to
build factories and manufacture goods)
• Anglo-American relations improved
•Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison
became heroes
•Indians pushed west of the Mississippi
•Growth of nationalism and patriotism—
pumped cause we defeated the British at
New Orleans
Selective memory:
Americans felt that we beat them during the
whole war
United the country