Tecumseh and the start of the War of 1812. When did the War of 1812 start?

Before we get to Tecumseh, let’s get a little bit of background. Jefferson wins reelection in 1804, based off the popularity of the Louisiana Purchase. In 1806, France and Britain are at war, again. We have trade relationships with both countries, so we are kind of caught in the middle.

Problems with the British and the French. The British and the French are both trying to blockade the other. Our cargo ships end up being attacked and confiscated by both the British and the French. The British, however, take a step further, and “impress” those sailors into the British Navy.

Chesapeake Incident In 1807, a British Naval ship floated on up next to one of our naval ships. The British captain demanded to be allowed to board our ship to search for English deserters. We refused. The British opened fire and killed some of our sailors.

Jefferson’s Reaction Jefferson urges congress to pass the Embargo Act of 1807, which stopped our exporting to any foreign country. The thinking was that this would hurt the British economy, and they would stop their bad behavior. It actually ended up hurting us more, and it was lifted in 1809.

Tecumseh He is chief of the Shawnee tribe and he wants to resist the expansion of American settlers into Native American land. He believes the best way to do this is to form a “confederation” of Native American tribes. He also reaches out to the British for help, and they help supply the confederation with arms.

Battle of Tippecanoe William Henry Harrison, governor of the Indiana territory and a general in the army, leads troops to “Prophetsown,” the Shawnee capital on the Tippecanoe river. His troops are able to defeat the Shawnee, and they burn the capital to the ground.

The emergence of the “war hawks” When America discovered that the Shawnee were using British arms, some politicians get very angry. They want to declare war on the British and invade Canada, which the British still had control of. John Calhoun and Henry Clay were the leaders, and their rallying cry was “On to Canada!”

America Declares War on Britain James Madison, now president in 1812, asks Congress to declare war on Britain in the spring of 1812. In June, Congress declares war on Britain. But, should we have gone to war……….? You decide!