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Unit Eight: The Jeffersonian Era . The War of 1812. The War of 1812. The War of 1812 started with early victories from America’s young navy, but the land war did not go as well.
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Unit Eight: The Jeffersonian Era The War of 1812
The War of 1812 • The War of 1812 started with early victories from America’s young navy, but the land war did not go as well. • At the beginning of the war America did find Britain in an inauspicious (unfavorable) spot due to the fact they were fighting a war against Napoleon in Europe. • Due to this fact many Americans thought that we would be able to quickly defeat the British in Canada, thus taking it for American expansion.
The Land War • The invasion into Canada was to be a three prong attack to quickly surround and capture British forts, Montreal, and York (Toronto). • The three prong attack was: • 1.) to attack from Fort Detroit into Upper Canada to Ontario. • 2.) to attack from Fort Niagara northward. • 3.) to move up the Hudson river to Montreal.
Early Failures • General William Hull was defeated by General Isaac Brook taking Fort Detroit without a shot fired and half of the Northwest Territory. • Stephan Van Rensselaer and Brigadier General Alexander Smyth were to coordinate an attack across the Niagara River which led to their defeat at Queenston Heights, and the fall of Fort Niagara and Buffalo, New York. • General Henry Dearborn lost Fort Dearborn (Chicago) allowing the British to gain control of most the Great Lakes region.
Early Battles • The first major land victory was commanded by Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry to retake Lake Erie known as the Battle of Put-in-Bay. • Perry made the famous statement that “we have met the enemy, and they are ours” signaling the ability for America to invade Canada. • Shortly after Perry’s victory General William Henry Harrison led on a march to recapture Detroit and into Canada.
Early Battles • Harrison then met a joint contingent of Canadians and Indian allies defeating them at the Battle of the Thames. • The Battle of the Thames was important for two reasons: it gained back Lake Erie for America, and also led to the retreat of the Indians due to the death of Tecumseh. • Other American generals failed to gain more territory for America like Commodore Isaac Chauncey on Lake Ontario, General James Wilkinson occupied Mobile but failed to take East Florida, and the year ended with a strong British blockade of American port cities.
1814 • During 1812 and 1813 the British were occupied with Napoleon, but after his defeat and exile to the island of Elba, the British were allowed to focus on “their” American problem. • The British then sent 14,000 seasoned troops to deal with the Americans. • The British tried to invade America through New York, but were defeated by Captain Thomas Macdonough at the Battle of Plattsburg on Lake Champlain. • Also Brigadier General Winfield Scott defeated the British at the Battle of Chippewa.
Creek War • During 1813 and the early parts of 1814 the southern Creek Indians “Red Sticks” led by Red Eagle (William Weatherford) had launched attacks against settlers in the Mississippi territory known as the Creek War. • In late 1813 the Red Sticks attacked and massacred a small militia and their families at an outpost in Alabama called Fort Mims. • To defeat the Red Sticks the leader of the Tennessee militia, General Andrew Jackson was sent to deal with the Indians.
Creek War • “Old Hickory” as Jackson was called marched his men into Creek country and waged war. • The climax of the battles was the Battle of Horseshoe Bend on the Tallapoosa River were the Creek were defeated by Jackson. • The Creek were then forced to give up 20 million acres of land and any Indians who refused were killed.
British Offensive • In 1814 the British decided to distract the Americans by sailing up the Chesapeake and then attacking Washington D.C., while the other major force marched from Canada. • A British regular army of 4,000 men under the command of Robert Ross landed on the Patuxent River quickly defeating the American force at the Battle of Bladensburg allowing the British direct access to Washington D.C.
British Offensive • Shortly after the Battle of Bladensburg the British marched on Washington D.C. setting fire to most of the Federal buildings including the President’s Mansion. • Due to the efforts of Madison’s wife Dolly a slave named Jennings, and others the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and a painting of Washington were snuck out of Washington D.C. and saved.
British Offensive • After burning Washington D.C. the British then set their sights on the third largest city, Baltimore, which was protected by Fort McHenry. • During the Defense of Baltimore, Fort McHenry was bombarded for a complete day but was able to withstand the barrage of shells; the next day the British withdrew. • During the Bombardment of Fort McHenry an American lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched the attack from a British vessel and wrote the famous poem turned song of the attack called the Star-Spangled Banner.
Star Spangled Banner • The Star Spangled Banner • by Francis Scott Key • O say! can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof thro' the night, that our flag was still there.O say! does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? • On the shore, dimly seen thro' the mist of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream.'Tis the Star-Spangled Banner. O long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. • And where is that band who so vauntingly swore, That the havoc of war and the battle's confusionA home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. • O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their lov'd home and war's desolation,Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n-rescued land Praise the pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation.Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto, "In God is our Trust."And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. • Sung to the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven"
Battle of New Orleans • After the Battle of Fort McHenry the British planned an invasion of the city of New Orleans. • New Orleans though was defended by Andrew Jackson who after he defeated the Creeks, marched on West Florida capturing the capital of Pensacola and then moved to fortify New Orleans. • Jackson quickly surprised the British force as soon as they landed off the Mississippi River with a motley crew of free black men, pirates, Indians, and militiamen slowing their advance toward New Orleans.
Battle of New Orleans • The British halted to regroup which gave Jackson the time needed to fortify the city. • On January 8, 1815 General Edward Pakenham finally attacked, but was defeated by Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans within one hour. • The Battle of New Orleans was a major victory for America even though it took place after the signing of the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812. Click on Above Picture to hear Johnny Horton’s Battle of New Orleans
Treaty of Ghent • During the latter parts of 1814 both American and British diplomats had been working on a peace agreement to end the war. • Finally on December 24, 1814 the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the War of 1812 with both parities agreeing to go back to the way things were before the war (status quo antebellum). • The treaty may have officially ended the war, but do to poor communication fighting continued all the way into the latter parts of 1815.
Hartford Convention • Everyone in America was not in agreement over the necessity of the War of 1812, and non more than New England. • Due to the embargos placed against the British, New England shipping and their economy came to a halt. • Due to these factors the New England Federalists met at Hartford Connecticut in a Convention to discuss a plan to secede from the Union. • The Federalists called off their plan due to the Treaty of Ghent and the victory at New Orleans, but it left the Federalist party destroyed as a viable party in America.
Results of the War of 1812 • Even though the War of 1812 is and was seen as a unnecessary war it did affect the thirty year old nation greatly. • 1.) It gave the nation respect in the eyes of the world powers it did not have before. • 2.) It unified the people for the first in a patriotic feeling not toward their state, but their nation. • 3.) It stimulated American manufacturing growing ourmany “infant industries”. • 4.) It broke up the major Indian resistance against western expansion. (allowed for the mass settlement of Alabama)
