War of 1812 War Begins President

War of 1812

War Begins • President Madison faced pressure from the War Hawks. • Settlers encroached on Indian land in the Ohio Territory. • Gen. Wm Henry Harrison attacked the Shawnee on the Tippecanoe River driving out the Shawnee

War Begins • Gen Harrison declared a”Glorious Victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe forcing the Shawnee chief Tecumseh to unite forces with the British.

War Begins • White settlers in the Ohio Valley claimed the British were supplying Tecumseh and the Shawnee with weapons. • This fueled more anger among the settlers and the War Hawks.

War Begins • The leading War Hawks were John Calhoun and Henry Clay who wanted to avenge British and Indian actions against the Americans. • They were eager to expand the United States power.

War Begins • By the spring of 1812 President James Madison concluded War with Britain was inevitable.

War Begins • The Negatives 1. Regular Army was < 7, 000 troops 2. States had between 50, 000 to 100, 000 militia who were poorly trained.

War Begins The Negatives 3. The military commanders were to old for battle. 4. The Revolutionary War veterans were too old for battle. Revolutionary War ended 35 years earlier. 5. The government provided no leadership

War Begins • The Negatives 5. The Americans underestimated the strength of the British and the Indians

War Begins • The War began in July 1812 when Gen. Wm. Hull took his army from Detroit into Canada where he was met by Tecumseh and Hull surrendered fearing his troops would be massacred.

War Begins • Gen. Wm. Henry Harrison also took his troops into Canada where his battle exploits were also unsuccessful.

Naval Battles • Capt. Oliver Hazard Perry of the Lake Erie naval forces had orders to defeated the British to take control of the Lake Erie Waterways. • Since the Americans took control of Lake Erie the British had to fall back from Detroit.

Naval Battles • In the battle of the Thames the great Indian leader Tecumseh was killed. • The Americans also attacked the town of York (Present day Toronto) and burned the Parliament Buildings to the ground

Naval Battles • Even with the attack on Toronto, Canada was not conquered. • American Privateers, armed private ships staged numerous victorious battles and captured several British ships.

Setbacks for Native Americans • The death of Tecumseh in 1813 dealt a huge blow to native Americans in their quest to forming a confederation with the Creek.

Setbacks for Native Americans • In addition Gen. Andrew Jackson attacked the Creek Indians killing over 550 of their people in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. • This defeat caused the Creek to give up the majority of their land.

The British Offensive • In 1814 the British concluded their War with Napoleon and France with a victory at Waterloo. • This meant more forces could be dedicated to the War with America.

Attack on Washington DC • In August of 1814 the British sailed into Chesapeake Bay with their eye on Washington DC • British troops overpowered the American troops and marched into DC.

Attack on Washington DC • The British burned everything in sight including the Capitol and the White House. • Madison and his cabinet watched from the edge of town as it burned.

Attack on Washington DC • Fortunately a thunderstorm came along and helped put out the fires before they could spread.

Battle of Baltimore • The British made no attempt to hold DC • They left DC heading for Baltimore, but the Militia was ready for battle.

Battle of Baltimore • Star Spangled Banner was written to the music of John Stafford Smith • The British were kept from entering Baltimore from American defenses and bombardments from Fort Mc. Henry. • During the Bombardment Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner. ”

Defeat at Plattsburg • While Baltimore is being attacked, British Gen. Geo. Prevost led 10, 000 troops from Canada into NY State with a goal of capturing Plattsburg.

Defeat at Plattsburg • The invasion was thwarted when an American Naval force on Lake Champlain defeated the British fleet in 1814. • The British retreated to Canada.

Defeat at Plattsburg • After the Battle of Lake Champlain the British thought the War was too costly and that to continue fighting was not worth the time or treasure.

The War Ends • American and British representatives signed a peace agreement in Dec. 1814 in Ghent, Belgium. The Treaty of Ghent did not change existing borders, or speak to impressment of sailors.

The War Ends • Before the word of the treaty had spread throughout America, a major battle occurred in Louisiana. • British troops tried to move into New Orleans where they met by Gen. Andrew Jackson and slaughtered hundreds of British soldiers; The Battle of New Orleans

Aftermath of the War • New England Federalists, unhappy with the war, gathered at the Hartford convention center. • Some wanted secession. • With the victory in NO, their grievances seemed unpatriotic. • After the war the U. S. gained a new respect from countries around the world.

Review • Why did New England federalists loose support after the end of the War? • Why was the Battle of Champlain an important victory? • Why did people from the North, South and West feel differently about the war?

Review-Answers • They looked unpatriotic since they opposed the war and wanted to amend the constitution. • It secured the Northern border for the Americans, and persuaded Britain to end the War. • People from the West and South thought it would make land more available. Northerners saw advantages to going to war.