6-4 The War of 1812 Erupts Textbook Pages
Thomas Jefferson Popularity soared after the Louisiana Purchase. In 1806 France and Britain started to seize American ships. – Britain 1,000 – France 500
Grievances Against Britain Americans focused anger on British – British were using policy of impressment Impressment – forced any American at sea to be drafted into the British Navy. Chesapeake – U.S. captain refused to let British board their ship to look for deserters…in return 18 wounded and 3 Americans were killed.
Grievances Against Britain Jefferson wanted Congress to declare an embargo (ban on exporting products to other countries) – Thought it would hurt Britain, but only hurt U.S. – Embargo Act of 1807 was lifted in 1809
Grievances Against Native Americans War Hawks – John C. Calhoun (SC) and Henry Clay (KT) leaders of the group – Wanted to go to war with Britain – Didn’t like the presence of Native Americans in Indiana Territory – General William Henry Harrison (governor of the Indiana Territory) invited several Native American chiefs to Fort Wayne, Indiana and persuaded them to sign over 3 million acres of tribal land to U.S. Government
Grievances Against Native Americans Confederacy of Native Americans led my Shawnee chief Tecumseh began organizing to fight for their homeland. – 1811 Tecumseh’s brother was defeated in an attack (Battle of Tippecanoe) – During that fight War Hawks found out that N.Americans had gotten supplies from Canadian-British They were furious!
The War Brings Mixed Results James Madison (Virginian Republican) won election of 1808 – Decided to go to war with Britain in 1812 Congress approved the declaration of war.
Failure in Canada Republican funding cuts left American military ill-prepared – First year battles were disastrous – By the second year America was winning against Britain and N. Americans. Tecumseh was killed at the Battle of Thames
British Burn the White House By 1814 the British were burning towns up and down the Atlantic coast. – Washington, D.C. had to be evacuated. – British burned the Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings. General Andrew Jackson (TN) gathered troops to protected New Orleans. – Defeated the British
British Burn the White House Treaty of Ghent was signed on X-mas eve 1814 and declared an armistice (end of fighting) 1815 trade reopened 1818 British-American commission set the northern boundary of the Louisiana Territory at 49 th parallel 10 year joint occupation of Oregon Territory