Objective: To examine the causes and effects of the War of 1812.

What are some major events leading to The War of 1812?

US shipping was being harassed, and cargo was seized.

Britain required licenses for ships bound for EuropeFrance confiscated cargo from licensed ships

Impressment of American sailors Many British sailors became naturalized US citizens and deserted British vessels and joined American crews.British Navy kidnapped these

sailors off American ships and had them rejoin the British Navy

What are some major events leading to The War of 1812?

Economic Diplomacy Fails

Embargo Act of 1807 halted all trade with Europe

Embargo is a government ban on trade with other countries

Embargo was unpopular in port cities, especially in the North

Jefferson FarewellEnter James Madison

Jefferson did not want to run for a 3rd termMadison was Jefferson’s Secretary of StateMadison was an author of 30 of the 81 the Federalist Papers (including No. 10 and No. 51)Considered the most important contributor to the ConstitutionAlso the shortest President

The War Hawks1. A group of Republican

Congressmen from the South and West

2. Wanted war against Britain

3. Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clary of Kentucky

What were some of the benefits of going to war with Britain?

To allow reopening of trade

National Pride

To stop the impressment of sailors

CANADA!!!

America’s Desire for Canada

a. Americans saw that Canada was not well-defended by Britain

b. Americans wanted more land and believed that people in Canada would want to join the United States

What were some drawbacks to going to war?

Not everyone in the US wanted to go to warMilitary was small

Standing Army was smallMilitia comprised most of our forces, and they did not like to fight outside of their state bordersNavy was quite small only 22 ships

Britain was a great Superpower and could crush us like a bug and we could lose territory that was gained in the Treaty of Paris or the Louisiana Purchase

Causes of War Simplified

Impressment of U.S. citizens

Interference with American Shipping

British Support of Native American Resistance

Tecumseh and Native American Unity

Impressmenta. Britain and France

were fighting a war in Europe

b. Britain began capturing American sailors and “impressing” them, or forcing them to work on British ships

c. By 1807, Britain had seized more than 1,000 American ships

Declaration of War

June of 1812 Madison asked Congress for declaration of war

Vote was split along regional lines

War started with Invasion of Canada

The War in Canada1. Americans were

unprepared for war2. The British

captured Detroit and the Americans failed to capture Canada

3. Many Native Americans helped the British because they wanted to stop Americans from taking more land

Key Battles

US Burns York (now Toronto)US figured the Canadians would welcome the Americans and quickly join the US to expel Britain from North America…this did not happen

Perry Defeated the British on Lake ErieThis gave the US control of Lake Erie

Britain Blockades the Eastern SeaboardThis prevented shipping from leaving, and made the war more unpopular in the Northeast

The Roof is on Fire…In August 1814, British Forces Sailed into Chesapeake Bay and captured Washington D.C.They burned the White House and the CapitolMadison and Congress Barely escape

Dolley Madison

Before the British burned the White House, Dolley Madison, wife of James Madison, saved a famous painting of George Washington.

“Oh Say Can You See…”Unlike D.C., Baltimore was Ready for the BritishThe City militia inflicted heavy casualties on the BritishAfter bombarding Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814 for 25 hours, the British abandoned the attackFrancis Scott Key witnessed the bombardment and penned a poem which becomes the National Anthem. (Star Spangled Banner)

• The British attacked Fort McHenry at Baltimore.

• Francis Scott Key watched the battle from a British ship, where he was trying to convince the British to release an American prisoner.

The Star-Spangled Banner

• When the smoke cleared, “our flag was still there”.

• In response, Key wrote the poem “Defence of Fort M'Henry”, which later was put to music and renamed “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1931.

The Star-Spangled Banner, written in Francis Scott Key’s own handwriting.

The original Star-Spangled Banner

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, Washington, D.C.

Treaty of Ghent

Treaty was Negotiated in Europe and was signed on Dec. 24, 1814 ending the war of 1812The War ended in a stalemate, where no party gained or lost any territory. The issue of impressment was not addressed, but faded on its own.

Battle of New Orleans

Fought after the treaty was signed (but not ratified)Why was New Orleans important?Pirates and Frontiersman fought alongside US troopsMade Andrew Jackson a National hero and household nameEnsured treaty ratification

If The War of 1812 ended in a tie, why was it important? - Effects of the War

Increased American Patriotism (Nationalism)

We were able to hold our own against the British

Started us thinking about continuing westward expansion

U.S. Manufacturing Grew – Why?

Weakened Native American Resistance

Creates a hero in Andrew Jackson and the Western Frontiersmen