Section 4: The War of 1812

Jefferson Secures a Second Term

• Won reelection in 1804 against Charles C. Pinckney

• Aaron Burr was dropped from the Republican ticket to run with Jefferson due to questions about loyalty

• George Clinton became Jefferson’s VP

Napoleon’s Blockade Renews Fighting

• 1806: In Napoleon’s quest for domination, he imposed a blockade, or a forcible closing of ports around Britain

• The British responded by imposing their own blockade around continental Europe 

• Britain and France both began seizing American ships

Tensions with the British

• Americans directed their anger at the British because of their policy of impressing Americans

Chesapeake Incident

1807 a British Commander demanded to board and search US Naval frigate, the Chesapeake. When the US captain refused, the British shot 3 and wounded 18

Embargo Act of 1807:

Ban on exporting goods to other countries (Lifted in 1809, but still in effect for trade with Britain and France)

Tensions with Native Americans

• William Henry Harrison, General and Governor of the Indiana Territory persuaded a group of chiefs to sign away three million acres of land to the US

• Tecumseh, chief of the Shawnee did not want to give in and he and his brother (The Prophet) developed a reform movement to drive out traces of “white civilization”

Battle of Tippecanoe

• Tecumseh sought negotiations with the British and traveled to try to drum up support with other Native Americans and form a confederacy

• In 1811 Tecumseh’s brother led an attack on Harrison’s men

• In retaliation, Harrison and his men burned Prophetstown (Shawnee Capital) to the ground 

• Harrison became a national hero

• Took place in Battle Ground, Indiana

War Hawks

• It was discovered that the arms being used by the Native Americans were from British Canada, creating outrage and calls for war against Britain

• The most prominent of the War Hawks were John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay

• “On to Canada!” was the rallying cry

President James Madison

• Virginian Democratic Republican, won election of 1808

• Decided to go to war against Britain, and Congress declared war on June 18, 1812

Mr. Madison’s War

• The US was unprepared for war with only a small army and navy

• Thomas Jefferson advised Madison that an invasion of Canada would be easy, but repeated attempts to invade Canada failed

• Northern states and the Federalist Party were against the war

Early Battles

British took Detroit and had some wins, then the US had some success when:

• The U.S.S. Constitution defeated H.M.S. Guerrière 

• Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British fleet on Lake Erie and U.S. retook Detroit

The Battle of York

• 1813-US won victory in York (present day Toronto)

• Troops looted and burned the fort and town (the capital city)

Native Americans Fighting for the British

• Americans won several victories against Native Americans

• In 1813, Harrison killed Tecumseh who was aiding the British

• In 1814, Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek in Alabama

• Jackson defeated the Seminoles and seized a fort at Pensacola

The Burning of Washington DC

• British captured DC in Aug. 1814

• Set fire to the Presidential Mansion (White House) and the Capitol

• Madison escaped to VA and Dolley Madison* saved many valuables

The Hartford Convention

• The war was not popular with everyone

•  A group of Federalists held the Hartford Convention in December 1814 to consider secession and making a separate peace with Britain

• After the Treaty of Ghent, these Federalists were discredited as traitors and by 1820, the Federalist Party had disappeared

The Battle of Fort McHenry

• British advanced to Baltimore

• They bombarded Ft. McHenry in Sept. 1814

• Francis Scott Key witnessed the attack & his poem about it became our National Anthem

The Treaty of Ghent

• After battles across all of North America, a treaty was negotiated on December 24, 1814 in Ghent, Belgium

• The war ended in a stalemate with neither side gaining or losing territory

The Battle of New Orleans

• Word of the treaty had not yet reached New Orleans

• In Jan. 1815, Gen. Andrew  Jackson decisively defeated the invading British 

• Made Andrew Jackson a national hero

Effects of the War of 1812

• Revealed the need for a strong military

• Surge in American Nationalism

• Brought an end to the Federalist party

• Hurt northern businesses BUT was a catalyst for industrialization

• Greatly diminished the strength of Native American resistance

• Election of James Monroe in 1816 (Madison’s Sec. of State)

• The Era of Good Feelings- 1817-1825

• One political party- The Democratic Republicans- dominated politics

• The US increased its stature in the world