Chapter 8 Section 3: The Coming of War

Violations of Neutrality: During the late 1700’s-1800’s overseas trade, while profitable, was also ___. American merchant ships traveled long distances, through violent storms, dealing with threats like the pirates of the Barbary states of North Africa. These pirates would often seize a ship and hold the crew and cargo for ____. These attacks continued until the US sent the USS Constitution, a large warship, and others to end the threat. This wasn’t the only problem. When Great Britain and France went to war in ___, each country wanted to stop the US from supplying goods to the other. Trouble began when the British started stopping US ships and forcing sailors to serve in the British Navy. This impressment continued despite American ____.

The Embargo Act: Great Britain’s ____of US neutrality sparked intense debate in America. Some people wanted to go to war, other favored an embargo against Britain. Jefferson, who had just won re-election in 1804 supported an ____. At his urging, Congress passed the Embargo Act in 1807, which banned all trade with foreign nations. They hoped this would punish both Britain and France while protecting American merchant ships from ____. The effect was instead a punishment to US merchants, who suffered the hardest blow. The embargo damaged Jefferson’s popularity, and it didn’t really hurt either Britain or France in the long run.

Non-Intercourse Act: In 1809 Congress tried to revive the nation’s ___by passing the Non-Intercourse Act,which banned trade with France and England ONLY, but this was no more successful than the Embargo Act. The Conflict over land: In the early 1800’s, Native Americans in the old Northwest Territory continued to lose ____as thousands of settlers moved into the region. Treaties had been signed to gain land in certain areas, but Indian leaders who had not agreed protested the mass migration. British agents from _____started to arm the Native Americans who were living in the frontier in an attempt to slow American westward growth.

Tecumseh resists U.S. Settlers: Tecumseh was a Shawnee chief who had watched angrily as Native Americans were pushed off their land. He was a brilliant ____and he pushed hard to get the other Native American tribes to unite to push out the white man. He hoped to ____the northwest frontier tribes and those in the South as well as the eastern Mississippi Valley tribes. He was helped by his _____, who was a religious leader known as the prophet. They founded the village of Prophetstown for their followers.

The Battle of Tippecanoe: The governor of the _____Territory, William Henry Harrison was convinced that Tecumseh could be a serious threat. He met Tecumseh in 1810 and urged him to follow the treaty that had been signed, Tecumseh refused. At the end of their meeting, Harrison warned Tecumseh not to resist the might of the United States military. Tecumseh traveled ____to ask the Creek nation to join his forces, and while he was away Harrison attacked Prophetstown and burned the village. Tecumseh returned and at the Battle of Tippecanoe was defeated and forced to flee to Canada. Tecumseh’s ____of a great Indian confederation were destroyed.

The War Hawks: The ____of British support for Tecumseh inflamed Americans. Several young members of Congress, called War ____by their opponents, took the lead in calling for war against Britain. These legislators were mostly from the South and the West, and they saw war as the only answer to the British insults. They pushed Congress to declare war and gave emotional speeches to the public urging Americans to stand up to Britain. The opponents of the War Hawks were New England ____. People in that area of the country were already hurting from the Embargo Act and wanted to renew business ties with Britain instead of fighting another ___. The Federalists added that America’s Army and Navy were still too weak to take on Britain.

Declaring War: Republican James Madison was elected president in ___. He was under immense pressure from Congress to act on this issue, and in 1812 he decided that Congress must vote on war. When Congress voted a few days later, the War Hawks ____, and for the first time in our nation’s history Congress had declared war. Months later, Americans elected Madison to a second term. He would serve as Commander in Chief during the War of 1812.