Study Notes on Aaron Burr, the War of 1812, and Related Historical Context

Overview of Aaron Burr's Actions

  • General Context

    • Aaron Burr's unpopularity

    • Jefferson's animosity towards Burr

    • Hamilton's disdain for Burr

  • Burr's Political Aspirations

    • Attempted presidency (1804)

    • Attempted governorship

    • Motivations to eliminate Hamilton

  • Burr's Conspiracy (1803)

    • Idea to create an empire west of the Mississippi

    • Possible locations: Missouri, avoiding Louisiana due to climate

    • Need to raise an army for land acquisition

Collaboration with General James Wilkinson

  • Wilkinson's Character

    • Described as having a despicable character by Hamilton

    • History of spying for Spain

  • Agreement with Burr

    • Burr and Wilkinson plan to build an army

    • Limited success in recruiting, only 100 men enlisted

Legal Troubles and Trial of Burr

  • Wilkinson's Betrayal

    • Reports Burr’s activities to Jefferson

    • Troops dispatched to apprehend Burr

  • Trial Details

    • Burr claims Fifth Amendment rights (not testifying against himself)

    • Limited witness availability: only Wilkinson, unreliable due to lack of evidence

    • Acquitted due to lack of credible testimony and interpretation of intent

Aspects of the War of 1812

  • Impressment of American Sailors

    • British impressment practices during conflicts with France

    • American sailors forcibly taken into the British Navy

    • Notion of perpetual British allegiance

  • USS Chesapeake Incident (1807)

    • British Ship: HMS Leopard requests to board USS Chesapeake

    • Refusal and Subsequent Attack: British fire upon USS Chesapeake, resulting in casualties

    • 3 Americans killed, 18 wounded; James Barron leads the American ship

    • Barron's negligence: guns unprepared for combat due to poor planning

Reaction to the USS Chesapeake Incident

  • Public Sentiment

    • Call for war arises despite lack of military readiness

    • Jefferson's military budget cut affecting capacity to go to war

  • Barron's Court Martial

    • Five-year suspension from command following the incident

    • Future service amid distrust during War of 1812

The Embargo Act of 1807

  • Overview

    • Prohibition of trade with foreign ports

    • Intended to reduce British impressment issues

  • Consequences

    • Economical decline in New England

    • Exports drop from $48 million (1807) to $9 million (1808)

    • Tariff revenue decreases from $18 million to $8 million

    • Shipbuilding down by two-thirds

    • Agriculture severely impacted

Reasons Leading to the War of 1812

  • Impressment Crisis

    • Ongoing British impressment intensifies tensions

  • Tecumseh and the Indian Confederacy

    • Tecumseh: an active leader opposing American expansion

    • Relationship with Shawnee brothers Wakosh and Tippecanoe

  • Conflict with Harrison

    • William Henry Harrison’s military strategies against Tecumseh

    • Harrison's campaign to disrupt the Native American confederacy

Expansionism and Motivations for War

  • War Hawks in Congress

    • Figures like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun pushing for war

    • Clay’s view of liberating Canada, Calhoun’s agenda toward Florida

  • International Context

    • Recognizing England’s distraction with Napoleon influencing American strategies

Initial Outcomes of the War

  • Campaigns and Battles Detail

    • Battle of Thames: Tecumseh die in battle, vital American victory

    • Invasions of Canada: Initial failures for American forces

    • NHS Chesapeake incident’s influence on military strategies going forward

  • British Invasion of Washington DC

    • August 1814: British forces burn Washington,

    • Deteriorating American morale example during wartime

Notable Encounters and Victories

  • The Baltimore Campaign

    • Fort McHenry enduring a bombardment leading to Francis Scott Key writing the Star-Spangled Banner

  • Battle of New Orleans (January 1815)

    • Andrew Jackson's decisive victory despite being outnumbered

    • Reinforced Jackson’s national prominence

Conclusion of the War and Its Aftermath

  • Treaty of Ghent (December 1814)

    • Signed weeks before New Orleans battle

    • Sealing no clear victory for either side

  • Impact on Federalists

    • Federalists' declining influence due to perception of disloyalty

    • Emergence of Republican dominance in the post-war period

  • Legacy of the War

    • Growing sentiment for American manufacturing independence from foreign reliance

    • Shift in identity post-war and its ramifications for the national landscape moving forward