1. Causes of the War Impressment
Britain and France were fighting a war in Europe
Britain began capturing American sailors and “impressing” them, or forcing them to work on British ships
By 1807, Britain had seized more than 1,000 American ships

2. Embargo Act of 1807
President Jefferson convinced Congress to declare an embargo
Jefferson believed the embargo would hurt Britain, but it really hurt America
Prices for agricultural products such as wheat, tobacco were falling
In 1809, Congress ended the embargo with all countries except Britain and France

3. America’s Desire for Canada
Americans saw that Canada was not well-defended by Britain
Americans wanted more land and believed that people in Canada would want to join the United States

4. 4. US thought that the British were aiding the Native Americans on the frontier and encouraging them to attack
By 1811 the Shawnee chief, Tecumseh had organized a confederation of tribes from Wisconsin to Florida to “rid the land of whites”
Tecumseh’s brother, Tenskwatawa, known as the Prophet insisted that natives give up white customs
The Prophet led an attack on Indiana governor William H. Harrison’s camp on November 7, 1811; known as Battle of Tippecanoe; natives soundly defeated
Resentment grew against British in Canada

5. 5. The War Hawks
A group of Republican Congressmen from the South and West
Wanted war against Britain
Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clary of Kentucky

6. Election of 1808 James Madison, a Democratic-Republican, won
In the Spring of 1812, Madison decided to go to war against Britain

7. The War in Canada Americans were unprepared for war
The British captured Detroit and the Americans failed to capture Canada
Many Native Americans helped the British because they wanted to stop Americans from taking more land

8. The War at Sea The U.S. Navy was young and outnumbered
In November of 1812, the British blockaded the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
The blockade grew throughout the war
By 1813, most American ships were unable to leave their ports

10. The War on Land Battle for Washington
The British invaded Washington, D.C. in 1814
British soldiers burned the Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings
Before the British burned the White House, Dolly Madison saved a famous painting of George Washington

11. Battle at Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key: an American lawyer and prisoner of the British
Saw an American flag still flying over Ft. McHenry after the battle
The flag inspired Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”

12. 3. The Battle of New Orleans (1815)
The most famous/important battle of the War
Americans were lead to victory by General Andrew Jackson
The battle continued even after the war ended because word did not reach the Americans for several weeks

13. The Treaty of Ghent
In December, 1815, British and Americans met in Ghent, Belgium to negotiate a peace treaty
Results of the war:
Britain and American became better allies
America gained respect from other countries

14. Effects of the The War of 1812 Encouraged Nationalism.
The territorial boundaries of the United States were secure—defeat of Native Americans and the British.
Peace between the United States and Great Britain—beginning of a long partnership.
End of the Federalist Party—they had supported peace in December 1814 at the Hartford Convention before the war was complete
America had survived “the second American revolution”—The U.S. Constitution and the federal government survived.
a new national identity—symbolism—“Star Spangled Banner”, “Uncle Sam”
new American hero—Andrew Jackson

15. Star Spangled Banner Activity Answer the following guiding questions:
What is the main idea of this poem?
What examples within the text best support the main idea?
In what ways do the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner" reflect actual events?
What evidence do we have of its popularity?
What are some events involving the flag that have contributed to Americans' image of their flag and their country?
Choose one performance task to complete

16. Extension Activity-Extra Credit
Write a reflective journal entry on the Star Spangled Banner that answers the following question:
Describe an event that you attended in which the Star Spangled Banner was performed. How and why did the performance of the national anthem affect you at that moment?