Transcript The War of 1812

Lesson 10.4: The
War of 1812
Today’s essential question:
What were the major
causes and outcomes of the
War of 1812?
What We Already Know
From 1783 until 1812, the
American military fought
Indians in the Northwest
and Barbary pirates in
the Mediterranean, but
no major wars against
European nations.
What We Already Know
Between 1803 and
1812, the British
navy had captured
about 6,000
American sailors
and forced them to
serve on British
ships.
What We Already Know
Young War Hawks like
Henry Clay pushed
Congress into declaring
war on Britain.
On June 18, 1812 Congress
declared war on Great Britain.
• At almost the same time, Parliament
voted to end British interference with
American shipping.
• The British announcement took several
weeks to cross the Atlantic and arrived
too late to prevent war.
The War of 1812 Begins
• When the war began, the
United States military
was weak.
• The navy had only about
16 ships.
• The army had fewer than
7,000 men, who were
poorly trained and
equipped.
• U.S. officers had very
little experience.
There were two phases of the War
of 1812.
From 1812 to 1814, Britain concentrated
on its war against France.
After the British defeated France in 1814, they
would turn their complete attention to the
United States.
The First Phase of the War
Although the U.S. Navy was small,
its warships were the fastest afloat.
The Navy’s officers had gained valuable experience
fighting the Barbary pirates.
Early stirring victories by ships such as
the Constitution and the United States
won boosted American confidence.
The most important U.S. naval
victory took place on Lake Erie
in September 1813.
• A British force on the lake attacked a
force of American ships led by Oliver
Hazard Perry.
• Although Perry’s ship was destroyed,
he rowed to another ship, took charge,
and went on to win the battle.
• The British were forced to begin a
retreat back to Canada.
On land, General William Henry
Harrison chased the fleeing
British all the way to Canada and
defeated them at the Battle of
the Thames in October, 1813.
Tecumseh died in the battle fighting for the
British. The British and Indian threats to
the Northwest were brought to an end.
The Second Phase of the War
By April 1814, Napoleon
had been defeated and
Britain focused on the
war against America.
The Second Phase of the War
In August of 1814,
British forces invaded
the United States and
burned the Capitol
building and the
president’s mansion.
In September, British ships shelled
Fort McHenry near Baltimore in an
all-night battle.
A
Washington
lawyer named
Francis Scott Key
watched the
battle all night
from a nearby
ship.
At dawn, he could see that the flag was still
flying. Key showed his pride by writing a poem
that would become our national anthem.
Oh, say, can you see by the dawn's early light
what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
whose broad stripes and bright stars,
thru 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 through 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?
The Battle of Lake Champlain
• In September, the British sent a force
from Canada across Lake Champlain.
• Its goal was to push south and cut off
New England.
• But in September 1814, an American
fleet defeated the British in the Battle of
Lake Champlain.
Diplomacy in Europe
While the War of 1812 raged on, American
and British diplomats signed the Treaty of
Ghent ending the war in December 1814.
Unaware of the Treaty of Ghent, both sides
continued to fight in the United States.
In the South, the British targeted the
strategic port of New Orleans.
In the South, the British targeted the
strategic port of New Orleans.
A U.S. general, Andrew Jackson, put
together an army to defend the port city.
When the British launched their attack in
January 1815, their 7,500 troops were
quickly defeated by Jackson’s soldiers.
Victory in New
Orleans
• American casualties
totaled 71, compared
to Britain’s 2,000.
Victory in New
Orleans
• American casualties
totaled 71, compared
to Britain’s 2,000.
• Victory in the Battle
of New Orleans made
Jackson a national
hero.
The War of 1812 had no clear
winner, because little was changed.
1. Under the terms
of the Treaty of
Ghent, no
territory
exchanged
hands.
2. None of the other
issues (such as
impressment)
were resolved.
The War of 1812 had several
important outcomes.
1) American
patriotism
increased
because of the
heroic exploits
of men such as
Jackson and
Perry.
2) The war broke
the strength of
Native Americans,
who had sided with
the British.
3) Because the war had interrupted trade,
Americans were forced to make many of their
own goods. This encouraged the growth of
U.S. manufacturers.
The United States proved it could defend
itself against the mightiest military power of
17.and
What
was the
most
the time,
this caused
a new
sense of
national
pride and political
unity
sweep
significant
outcome
oftothe
the country.
War
of 1812?
Americans grew confident that their
young nation’s independence would
continue and the country would prosper.
Major Events of the War of 1812
First Phase of the War of 1812
Date
Event
June
1812
Congress declares war
on Britain
September
1813
Perry defeats the
British at the Battle of
Lake Erie
October
1813
April
1814
Harrison defeats the
British at Battle of the
Thames; Tecumseh is
killed
Napoleon is defeated;
Britain shifts its focus
to the United States
Second Phase of the War of 1812
Date
Event
British burn U.S. capitol
August
and president’s
1814
mansion
British attack Ft.
September McHenry; British fleet
1814
defeated at Battle of
Lake Champlain
December
1814
Treaty of Ghent signed;
war ends
January
1815
Andrew Jackson
defeats British at Battle
of New Orleans
Effects of the War of 1812
What Did Not Change
What Did Change
1. American patriotism increased.
1. No territory changed hands.
2. The Native American threat was
ended.
2. Trade disputes were left
unresolved.
3. U.S. manufacturing increased.