Chap08 war of 1812

The War of 1812

Conflict with Britain

Napoleon’s Continental System

• Isolate England by stopping trade

• No trade w/England• British continental

property confiscated• All vessels touching

only at British port subject to seizure!

England: Orders in Council

• All colonial goods must go on British ships/neutral ships who pay duty

• Who is the “neutral shipper”?• British board our ships

– Are you helping the French?– Are you harboring “deserters”?– Impressing of 9,000 sailors

• Are they all deserters?

Embargo of 1807

• Attack on USS Chesapeake• Jefferson & Sec’y of State Madison

– Our ships will STAY HOME

• Who does this make unhappy?• US exports fall from $108 million to $22 million

in one year• The smuggling ► leads to the Force Act

“Indian Issues” out West

• Shawnee chief Tecumseh • Tenskwatawa (“the

Prophet”• Territorial gov’r of

Indiana – General William Henry Harrison

• The Indian/British alliance

Tecumseh

Reasons to be mad at the British:

• Impressing our sailors, stopping our ships– Freedom of the seas

• Southern planters ► want Florida (why?)• Arming Indians against us!• American pride and honor• Possible expansion into Canada?

President James Madison

• How to pressure England– Through Canada directly

and sugar islands indirectly

• Is everybody a war hawk?– Congress: 79 to 49

– Senate: 19 to 13

New England wants to be neutral!

• Trade with England is their business

• Where are most of our banking interests? – Do they make loans to support the war?

• Royal Navy: why blockade our pals?

• Smuggling

Military Action Starts

• General William Hull marches to Canada – summer 1812– Surprised/embarrassed by Tecumseh– Retreat!

• Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry on the Great Lakes– More successful

The War of 1812

More action . . .

• General William Henry invades Canada 1813– Battle of the Thames (Tecumseh dies)

• General Winfield Scott– Battles over New York/Canadian border

• Why aren’t those New Englanders sending him help?

General Winfield Scott

New England Resists

• Our militias can only fight in our state• We don’t want to pay the high taxes• 1814: New England Federalists meet

– Secede from union? (not much support)– Revise constitution?

• Limit presidency to one four-year term• Rotate presidency• Commercial embargoes can only last 2 months

South, West ENTHUSED

• Andy Jackson at Horseshoe Bend, MS – 1814

Burn the Capitol!

• Burning of York• Burning of

Washington DC in 1814– Revenge!

– Dolly Madison’s activities

Shelling Fort McHenry

Everybody’s tired . . .

• Let’s make peace• 1814 negotiations begin in Ghent, Belgium• Can we get Florida? Canada?• Can England get a “buffer zone”?• Let’s just stop fighting . . . . • Christmas Eve, 1814 ► Treaty of Ghent

Our Negotiators at Ghent

• Henry Clay• John Quincy Adams• Albert Gallatin

Battle of New Orleans

• News travels slowly• Andrew Jackson

annihilates the British at New Orleans

• Andy = National hero!!

Whoops!

• The hero has entered Florida without permission– Takes forts– Executes a couple British

• Sec’y of State John Quincy Adams’ response

• The public’s response

Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819

• Andrew Jackson’s illegal actions make this easier

• Spain cedes us Florida– Why do they give in so easily?

• We give up claims to part of “Spanish Texas”

• We take over $5 million Spanish debt