Jefferson's Foreign Policy and the War of 1812

Jefferson's Foreign Policy

Policy of no entangling alliances, following Washington's warning.
Aversion to a strong military and federal government.
Focus on overseas commerce to obtain necessary products.
Ideal of an agrarian nation, preferring to keep manufacturing in Europe to avoid a dependent working class.
Goal of maintaining peace and avoiding war, stifling freedom of speech, increased debt, and expanded government power.

Outbreak of war between Britain and France in 1803.
Both nations begin seizing American ships despite America's proclaimed neutrality.
Britain refuses to negotiate on this issue.
Congress responds with the Nonimportation Act, banning British imports that could be produced domestically or acquired elsewhere.
Tension escalates when the British warship Leopard attacks the American ship Chesapeake off the Virginia coast.
- The British demanded four crew members be handed over as British deserters.
- The American commander refuses, as the sailors were Americans.
- The Leopard opens fire, resulting in three deaths and 18 wounded.

Jefferson, knowing America was not ready for war, decides to take all American ships off the Atlantic Ocean.
Congress passes the Embargo Act in December 1807, forbidding all American ships from sailing to foreign ports.
Considered one of Jefferson's worst and most unpopular decisions.

Devastated American trade.
Minimal impact on Britain, which benefited from the removal of American competition.
Harsh domestic consequences in America.
- Exports dropped by 80% in a year.
- Imports dropped by more than half.
- New England was particularly hard hit (exports = exports_{initial} * 0.2).
Led to increased smuggling.
Jefferson's intention was to avoid war by removing American ships from potential conflict zones.

Neutral Rights: America's determination to secure neutral shipping rights during the European war.
Impressment: The impressment of American sailors into the British Navy.
British Incitement of Indian Attacks: Belief that the British were encouraging Indian attacks on the Western frontier.
- Tecumseh forms a confederation among various tribes.
- General William Henry Harrison fights Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe, securing a victory.
- The battle reinforces the belief that the British are instigating problems with the Indians.
Problems with Indian Tribes in East Florida: Concerns that Britain was using Spanish Florida to smuggle and incite Indian attacks.

People in the South and West who strongly supported war due to the impact of British policies and Indian attacks believed to be caused by the British.

New England, heavily affected by British shipping policies, opposed the war.
New Englanders tended to be Federalists, who favored Great Britain and did not want war.

Madison, responding to growing pressure, asks Congress for a declaration of war on June 1, 1812.
Congress declares war in June 1812, initiating the War of 1812.

Early American attacks against British Canada were largely unsuccessful due to militias refusing to cross the border.
The American navy achieved some success.
- Commodore Oliver Perry wins the Battle of Put-in-Bay on Lake Erie.
  - After his ship was destroyed, he rowed to another ship and led the Americans to victory.
William Henry Harrison fights the British at the Battle of the Thames, where Tecumseh is killed and which put an end to the Indian confederation.

Andrew Jackson fights the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.
- Jackson forces the Treaty of Fort Jackson on the Creeks, who ceded two-thirds of their land to the U.S., including parts of Georgia and most of Alabama.

The federalists had the Hartford Convention after the treaty of Ghent was signed.The Federalist Party is going to all but fall apart because now they have the stigma of disloyalty.

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