Chapter 9: section 4 The War of 1812

War Begins General William Hull The war started in July 1812 when General William Hull led the American army from Detroit into Canada where he was met by Tecumseh and his warriors Made 3 unsuccessful attempts at securing Detroit before finally abandoning the cause in Canada Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of the Lake Erie naval forces, was to assemble a fleet and seize the lake from the British Showdown occurred in September when the British ships sailed out to face the Americans A bloody battle in which Perry was the victor In the fierce Battle of the Thames, the great leader Tecumseh was killed

More Naval Battles To lower the national debt, the Republicans had reduced the size of the navy frigates Still consisted of three of the fastest frigates, or warships Americans exulted when the Constitution defeated two British vessels- the Guerriere and the Java four months later privateers American privateers, armed private ships, also captured numerous vessels With the death of Tecumseh, hopes for a N.A. confederation died, Andrew Jackson In March, a planter from Tennessee, Andrew Jackson, attacked the Creeks and slaughtered them in a battle known as the Battle of Horseshoe Bend

The British Offensive In August 1814, the British sailed into Chesapeake Bay British troops quickly overpowered the American militia and marched into the city The Capitol and the president’s mansion were among the buildings burned The British did not try to hold Washington, D.C., but sailed instead to Baltimore They were kept from entering by a determined defense and ferocious bombardment from Fort McHenry During this long battle, an attorney- Francis Scott Key, wrote the poem “The Star Spangled Banner” which was designated the National Anthem in 1931

Defeat at Plattsburgh The first British goal was to capture Plattsburgh, a key city on the shore of Lake Champlain Invasion was stopped when an American naval force defeated the British fleet British retreated to Canada After the Battle of Lake Champlain, the British decided the war in North America was too costly and unnecessary

The War Ends Treaty of Ghent American and British representatives signed a peace agreement in 1814 called the Treaty of Ghent Did not change any existing borders Before word of the treaty reached the U.S., one final and ferocious battle was fought at New Orleans The redcoats were not match for Jackson’s soldiers, who shot from behind bales of cotton In a short but gruesome battle, hundreds of soldiers were killed and Andrew Jackson became a hero