The War of 1812 PAGES

Objectives  Explain why the United States declared war on Britain  Describe what happened in the early days of the war  Discuss the American invasion of Canada and the fighting in the South  Identify the events leading to the end of the War of 1812

Focus Question  What were the causes and effects of the War of 1812?

President James Madison  Took office in 1809  Tension with Britain was high  Why were Americans angry at Great Britain?  Impressment of sailors  Arming Native Americans in the northwest

Nationalism  What is nationalism?  Pride in one’s country  To most Americans, the country’s honor was at stake  In 1810, two strong nationalists (Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun) became leaders in the House of Representatives

The Result: War Hawks  Clay, Calhoun, and supporters were called war hawks  Those who were eager for war with Britain  Opposition to war was strongest in New England  Believed war with England would harm trade

Beginnings of 1812  Relations with Britain worsened  In the spring, Britain told the U.S. they would continue impressing sailors  Native Americans continued to attack settlers in the Northwest  By June, Congress declared war on Britain

Early Days of the War  For the British, the war did not come at a good time  They were already at war in Europe  Americans were confident that they would win  Do you think Americans were prepared for war?

The United States was NOT Prepared  Jefferson’s spending cuts had weakened American military strength  The army and navy were both small  16 warships (navy)  Fewer than 7,000 men (army)

British Blockade  What is a blockade?  The action of shutting a port or road to prevent people or supplies from coming into an area or leaving it  The British navy was able to close off ALL American ports by the war’s end

USS Constitution vs. Guerriere  The USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” defeated the British warship Guerriere in August 1812  Became the most famous sea battle of the War of 1812  Look at Old Ironsides of page 238  Video: e.com/watch?v=M MdBWWDWRQ8

Invasion of Canada  Canada was still under British rule  General William Hull invaded Canada from Detroit  Hull was unsure of himself and retreated  What do you think happens as a result?

Great Britain took Advantage  British commander, General Isaac Brock took advantage of Hull’s confusion  British army along with Native Americans forced Hull to surrender  British captured 2,000 soldiers: it was a SERIOUS DEFEAT for the U.S,

Controlling Lake Erie  A 3 hour battle took place at Put-In-Bay, a western part of the lake  American commander Oliver Hazard Perry won the battle  With control of the lake, the British were forced to leave Detroit and retreat back to Canada

As the British retreated from Lake Erie…  William Henry Harrison pursued them along with their Native American allies  Followed the British into Canada and defeated them in the Battle of the Thames  Tecumseh was killed in battle

Meanwhile, overseas…  In 1814, the British finally defeated Napoleon  What could Britain do as a result?  Send many more troops to the United States

Attack on Washington  New British strategy was to attack Washington, D.C.  In August of 1814, the president’s wife fled the White House  British set fire to many buildings, including the White House  Americans shocked that we could not defend Washington

Brief History of the White House  “James Madison was elected president. During his term of office, the United States went to war with England. It was the War of As the British troops got close to Washington, Madison's wife, Dolley, ordered a carriage to pick her up and take her to safety. But she would not leave the house until two men agreed to take down the famous portrait of George Washington. The troops set fire to the Capitol Building and the White House. Today, the picture that Dolley saved is the only thing that has been in the White House since it first opened. When the war was over, the house was rebuilt and repainted white to cover the smoke marks. People began to call it the White House.”

Britain’s Next Move  Baltimore – Fort McHenry  British bombarded the fort throughout the night of September 13, 1814  Francis Scott Key watched the attack  What do you know about Francis Scott Key?  Key saw the American flag sill flying over the fort at dawn; Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner as a result

The War “Ends”  By 1814, Britain was tired of war  The two sides signed the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war  News of the treaty took several weeks to reach the U.S., so another battle was fought

The FINAL Battle… after the war ends…  In January 1815, American forces under General Andrew Jackson won a stunning victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans

New England Protests  Federalists didn’t like Madison, and they didn’t like the war that dragged on  New England in particular disliked the war  In December 1814, New Englanders talked of seceding, or withdrawing, from the United States at the Hartford Convention in Connecticut  When the war ended, this talk ended  Why would New England be AGAINST the war with Britain?

Pride  European nations would now have to treat the young United States with respect  Pride at this achievement brought the confidence of Americans to a new height

Focus Question re-visited  What were the causes and effects of the War of 1812?  Causes: British aggression; ineffectiveness of embargo; American nationalism  Effects: increased worldwide respect and recognition; increased American nationalism; crushed Native American Resistance