Ch. 9.4 The War of 1812
Objectives 1. How did the war progress at sea and in the Great Lakes region? 2. How did actions by American Indians aid the British during the war? 3. What strategy did the British pursue in the East? 4. How did the war come to an end?
The U.S.S. Constitution "Old Ironsides"
I. The War At Sea A. Most battles of the War of 1812 took place on or near water - Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay B. Battle of British Guerriere and U.S.S. Constitution 1. Constitution nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because of her copper sheathing - cannon balls bounced off her sides. 2. Victory for the U.S.
C. British advantages 1. hundreds of ships 2. able to blockade U.S. seaports & capture many U.S. merchant ships D. American advantages 1. Most of Britain's ships were fighting elsewhere in the world 2. Used privateers, which were cheaper than building battle ships 3. Well trained sailors 4. New, technologically superior warships
II. The Canadian Border A. U.S. leaders planned an invasion of Canada, hoping to take it from the British. B. British & Indians, led by Tecumseh, defeated an American unit & captured Ft. Detroit C. By the end of 1812, Britain controlled the Great Lakes Region. D. April, 1813 - U.S. troops captured & burned the Canadian capital of York (present day Toronto)
E. U.S. commander of the Navy was Oliver Hazzard Perry, who built a small fleet on Lake Erie. F. September, 1813 - Perry's fleet defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie. G. Perry's famous quote: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours." H. Perry's victory forced the British to withdraw from the Great Lakes region.
Battle of Lake Erie Oliver Hazzard Perry "We have met the enemy, and they are ours."
III. The Frontier War A. Gen. William Henry Harrison was in charge of the U.S. troops in the Northwest. B. October 1813 - Battle of the Thames 1. Harrison attacked, & British forces retreated. 2. Indians, led by Tecumseh, did not retreat until Tecumseh was killed. 3. His death weakened the Indian-British alliance. 4. U.S. victory broke British power in the Northwest & secured the Canadian border.
Tecumseh William Henry Harrison
C. In the South, Creek Indian forces attacked and destroyed Ft. Mims in present day Alabama. D. Andrew Jackson, a general in the TN militia, led his forces south to fight the Creek E. 1814 - Battle of Horseshoe Bend 1. Jackson attacked the main Creek Indian base on the Tallapoosa River in present day AL 2. Convincing victory for Jackson 3. Indian leaders surrendered. 4. Ended Creek War & forced Indians to give up millions of acres of their land.
IV. The British on the Offensive A. After defeating the French in 1814, Britain sent more ships & troops to the U.S. B. They strengthened their blockade of U.S. seaports. C. They sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to attack the U.S. capital of Washington. 1. Dolley Madison, Pres. Madison's wife, took precautions in case the British captured Washington: a. She packed up everything of value, including Cabinet papers, silverware, china, etc. b. Minutes before the British arrived, she saved a portrait of George Washington
2. The British invaded the city of Washington and forced the defenders to retreat. 3. They then burned the capital building, the White House, and other government buildings. D. The Battle of Ft. McHenry 1. The British sailed on up the Chesapeake to attack Baltimore, which was guarded by Ft. McHenry. 2. The British shelled the fort for 25 hours, but the Americans refused to surrender. 3. The British chose to retreat instead of continuing to fight. 4. The battle was witnessed from a British battle ship by American Francis Scott Key, who wrote the Star Spangled Banner in response to what he saw.
The Star Spangled Banner, Smithsonian Museum
The Bombardment of Ft. McHenry
V. The Battle of New Orleans A. After Gen. Jackson defeated the Creek Indians in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, he marched his troops south to New Orleans. B. After the burning of Washington, the British launched an attack from the Carribean, hoping to capture New Orleans. C. Jackson ordered his troops, a mixture of soldiers, militia, & pirates, to build a wall of dirt and logs and wait for the British attack.
D. On the morning of Jan. 8, 1815, the British began marching toward the U.S. troops under the cover of a heavy fog. E. When the air cleared, they realized they were caught in an open field & exposed to U.S. rifle & artillery fire. F. They were cut down with frightening speed. G. When the battle ended, more than 2,000 British soldiers had been killed or wounded. H. The Americans had suffered only about 70 casualties. I. The battle was unique because it was fought two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent.
The Battle of New Orleans by Johnny Horton
VI. Ending the war A. Hartford Convention 1. Before the Battle of New Orleans, some Federalists gathered at Hartford, CT. 2. Opposed to the war, some wanted the New England states to withdraw from the United States. 3. More moderate members convinced them to send a delegation to Congress to discuss the matter before taking action. 4. Before this delegation reached Washington, news came that the war had ended.
5. Critics of these Federalists accused them of treason. 6. Their attempt to challenge the power of the national government further weakened the party.
B. The Treaty of Ghent 1. The U.S. and Britain had been negotiating peace in the city of Ghent in Belgium for months. 2. The peace treaty was finally signed on Dec. 24, 1814, weeks before the Battle of New Orleans. 3. Both countries agreed to end the war and to return any territory it had conquered. 4. It did not solve the problem of impressment or trade embargos. 5. This was an escape from disaster for the U.S., but they were proud their young nation had stood up to the British.
Front page of the Treaty of Ghent