1. Thinking Question
What are “good”, or acceptable, reasons for a country to go to war?

2. The War of 1812

3. Causes of the War
1) Continuing conflict with Native Americans in the West – and Britain’s support for Native resistance against the U.S.
2) Interference with American shipping
3) Impressment of U.S. citizens by the British Navy
4) “War Fever” resulting from Western politicians’ repeated and vocal calls for war (and suggestion that the U.S. might take possession of Canada)

4. The March to War Battle of Tippecanoe – November, 1811 June, 1812
In the West, the war against Native Americans had been continuous since independence
1811 – Battle of Tippecanoe
: War Hawks in Congress press for a declaration of war against Great Britain
Britain responded to the threat of war by offering to stop their interference with American shipping
Britain was involved in a long and costly war with Napoleon’s France and could not really afford a second war
News of Britain’s offer did not reach the U.S. in time – Congress had already declared war when the offer arrived
June, 1812

5. The War of 1812: Phase One 1812-1814 October 1813 September 1813
1812 – 1814 (Britain still at war with France)
Key Battles
1) Battle of Lake Erie
September 1813
U.S. navy ends the British naval threat in the Great Lakes
2) Battle of the Thames River (southern Canada)
October 1813
General Harrison invades Canada, defeating a combined force of British and Native Americans
Ends the Native American threat in the Northwest
Britain’s Success: Blockade of the entire U.S. coastline
September 1813

6. The War of 1812: Phase Two

7. The War of 1812: Phase Two April 1814 – January 1815 September 1814
April 1814 – January 1815 (After the defeat of Napoleon)
Key Battles
1) Battle of Lake Champlain (Vermont)
September 1814
British invasion from the north is repulsed
2) Washington, DC and Baltimore
August 1814
British burn the capital of Washington, DC
U.S. Fort McHenry in Baltimore harbor holds out against British attack
August 1814

8. The Battle of New Orleans
January 1815
Battle of New Orleans
January 1815
Huge victory for United States; British invasion from the South is repulsed
Andrew Jackson, the U.S. commander, becomes a war hero

9. The Treaty of Ghent Signed on December 24, 1814
Preserved the status quo from before the war:
No territory changes hands
Trade disputes are left unresolved

10. Results of the War
1) Native American resistance in the Northwest is effectively ended
2) Increased patriotism/unity in the country, for a brief time
3) British blockade forced the U.S. to begin to develop its own manufacturing capability
4) Andrew Jackson become a national celebrity