Transcript War of 1812 - White Plains Public Schools

Eliseo Lugo III
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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After James Madison’s election into
office in 1808, tensions between the
United States and England would
continue to deteriorate.
Prior to 1812, the United States did
everything possible to remain neutral
in the War between Britain and France
However, continued fighting between
Britain and France had threatened
American shipping.
American shipping was threatened by
both British and French Impressment.
Americans were also angry that the
British had been arming the NativeAmericans in the Northwest against
them.
Four years later, Madison would
lead the nation into the War of 1812
against Great Britain.
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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Although both France
and Britain
threatened U.S. ships
between 1805 and
1814, Americans
focused their anger
on the British.
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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One reason was the
British policy of
Impressment, the practice
of seizing Americans at
sea and “impressing,” or
drafting them into the
British navy.
In other words, the
British were seizing
American ships and
forcing the sailors to
work for the British.
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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Americans grew even
angrier after learning
that officials in
British Canada were
supplying arms to
Native Americans in
support of their
ongoing battle
against American
settlers.
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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A group of young
congressmen from
the South and the
West, known as the
Warhawks,
demanded war
against England.
These Warhawks
included Henry Clay
of Kentucky and John
C. Calhoun of South
Carolina
BACKGROUND OF THE WAR OF 1812
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Not everyone supported
war against Britain.
The strongest opposition
to the War came from the
New England states who
argued that it would hurt
American trade.
However, by the spring of
1812, President Madison
had decided to commit
America to war against
the British, and Congress
approved the war
declaration in mid-June.
THE WAR OF 1812
THE WAR OF 1812
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Spending cuts made by
Thomas Jefferson earlier in
history and a lack of popular
support had left the American
military with few volunteers and
not very well prepared for war.
At the start of the war, the
nation only had 16 warships
and an army of fewer than
7,000 men.
In other words, the United
States was in no shape militarily
to fight a war against what was
then the world’s strongest
military.
http://thetrustytory2.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/battleofqueenston.jpg
THE WAR OF 1812
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At the start of the war, Britain, was
too preoccupied with Napoleon in
Europe to pay much attention to
the Americans.
Britain’s initial strategy was to
establish a blockade of the
American coast.
A blockade is the action of shutting
a port to prevent people or supplies
from coming into an area or leaving
it.
This blockade was successful
because by the end of the war, the
British were able to close off all
American ports.
This blockade was possible
because contrary to the 16 total
warships that the United States
had, the British were able to send
135 ships to form their blockade.
THE WAR OF 1812
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In July of 1812, the United
States sent troops into
Canada.
The Warhawks believed
that Canadians would
welcome the Americans as
their liberators from
British rule.
The war campaign in
Canada was a dismal
failure as over 2,000
American soldiers were
captured in a humiliating
defeat.
THE WAR OF 1812
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By 1814, the British had defeated
Napoleon.
This victory would allow the British to send
many more troops to the United States.
As a result, the British scored a stunning
victory in August of 1814, when they
brushed aside American troops and sacked
Washington, D.C.
The British set fire to several
government buildings including the
White House.
Madison and other federal officers fled
the city as the British burned the
Capitol, the Presidential Mansion, and
other public buildings.
Americans were shocked when they
found out that their army could not
defend Washington.
The British would then focus their
attentions on Baltimore
THE WAR OF 1812
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It was during the Battle
of Fort McHenry in
Baltimore that Francis
Scott Key wrote “The
Star Spangled Banner”
THE END OF THE WAR OF 1812
The British had grown tired of fighting and peace
talks began in the city of Ghent, Belgium.
 On December 24th of 1814, the two sides signed
the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war.
 The treaty stipulated that all things were to return
to the way that they were prior to the war. So….
who won ???
 Ironically, news of the Treaty took several weeks to
reach the United States and during that time, the
United States had won a stunning victory at the
Battle of New Orleans.
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THE END OF THE WAR OF 1812
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The Treaty of
Ghent, signed on
Christmas Eve of
1814, declared an
armistice, or end
to the fighting.
http://war1812.tripod.com/ghent.GIF
CONSEQUENCES FROM THE WAR OF 1812
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The war had three important
consequences.
First, it led to the end of the
Federalist party, whose members
generally opposed the war.
Second, it encouraged the
growth of American industries to
manufacture products no longer
available from Britain because of
the war.
Third, it confirmed the status of
the United States as a free and
independent nation and created
a great sense of Nationalism in
the Nation.
Nationalism is devotion to ones
own country ; pride in ones own
nation or ethnic group.