Causes and Consequences of the War of 1812

1. Mr. Kilbourn

2. Causes of the War • Impressment • Britain and France were fighting a war in Europe • Britain required licenses for ships bound for Europe • France confiscated cargo from licensed ships • Britain began capturing American sailors and “impressing” them, or forcing them to work on British ships • By 1807, Britain had seized more than 1,000 American ships and their cargos

3. Embargo Act of 1807 • President Jefferson convinced Congress to declare an embargo that halted all trade with Europe • Jefferson believed the embargo would hurt Britain, but it really hurt America • Embargo was unpopular in port cities, especially in the North • In 1809, Congress ended the embargo with all countries except Britain and France

4. America’s Desire for Canada • Americans saw that Canada was not well-defended by Britain • Americans wanted more land and believed that people in Canada would want to join the United States

5. The War Hawks • A group of Republican Congressmen from the South and West • Wanted war against Britain because the trade restrictions hurt farmers and they blamed the British for supporting Indian uprisings • Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clary of Kentucky • Also wish to take Florida from Spain who is now an ally of Great Britain.

6. Election of 1808 • James Madison, a Democratic-Republican, won • In the Spring of 1812, Madison decided to go to war against Britain

7. Congress declared War on June 23,1812

8. The War in Canada • Americans were unprepared for war: Army, Navy, and Militia was quite small while Britain was still a world Superpower • The British captured Detroit and the Americans failed to capture Canada • Many Native Americans helped the British because they wanted to stop Americans from taking more land • Canada did not want to join U.S. like they were expected to… U.S. burns Toronto

9. The War at Sea • The U.S. Navy was young and outnumbered • Commodore Perry defeats the British on Lake Erie giving U.S. Lake Erie • In November of 1812, the British blockaded the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays • The blockade grew throughout the war • By 1813, most American ships were unable to leave their ports

11. The War on Land • Battle for Washington • The British invaded Washington, D.C. in 1814 • British soldiers burned the Capitol, the White House, and other public buildings • Madison and Congress barely escape • Before the British burned the White House, Dolley Madison saved a famous painting of George Washington

12. Battle at Fort McHenry Baltimore • Francis Scott Key: an American lawyer and prisoner of the British • Saw an American flag flying over Ft. McHenry after the battle • The flag inspired Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”

13. 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”.

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

15. Bombshells that exploded into deadly fragments were Britain's most formidable weapon against Fort McHenry. • Seamen launched the bombs from ships known as bomb vessels using mortars with a range of about 2.5 mi. (4 km).

16. The Old Defenders, veterans of the Battle of Baltimore, marched in parades in Baltimore on Sept. 12, called Defenders' Day, for the rest of their lives. • The above picture shows the last of "The Old Defenders" were photographed in 1880.

17. The Treaty of Ghent • In December, 1815, British and Americans met in Ghent, Belgium to negotiate a peace treaty • Results of the war: • Britain and American became better allies • America gained respect from other countries • Britain agrees to honor U.S. boundaries

18. The Battle of New Orleans (1815) • The most famous/important battle of the War • Americans were led to victory by General Andrew Jackson • The battle continued even after the war ended because word did not reach the Americans for several weeks • Britain lost over 2,000 men whilst the U.S. lost 13 (numbers include prisoners and wounded)

19. Impressment Embargo Unprepared Capture Outnumbered Blockade Port Invade Allies A refusal to trade with another country Friends To take control of A place where ships stop Forcing sailors to work on another ship Not read To enter with force Closing off an area with ships When the other side has more soldiers/people than you do Vocabulary