The War of 1812

1. The War of 1812 Causes, Course and Consequences

2. Overview After years of tension the U.S. and Britain went to war in 1812. Britain had a clear naval advantage, but battles were fought on numerous fronts. The U.S. won the war, secured their independence once again and gave Americans a new sense of unity.

3. Causes • Impressment of American sailors • Interference with American shipping • British military aid to Native Americans • Nationalism (pride in one’s country)—many Americans felt their honor was at stake

4. Course:Early Days of the War • Jefferson’s spending cuts had weakened the military—the U.S. had only 16 war ships and 7,000 men ready to fight. • The British effectively blockaded the American coast, resulting in little to no trade. • August 1812, USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) defeated the Guerriere in the North Atlantic. British cannon balls bounced off the reinforced hulls of the ship, which were more than 2 feet thick at the waterline.

5. Course:War in the West and South • Americans fought for control of the Great Lakes and Mississippi • Both sides had Native American allies • General Hull invaded Canada from Detroit in July 1812, but quickly retreated and surrendered; 2,000 Americans were taken prisoner • Commander Oliver Hazard Perry fought off the British at Lake Erie for three hours before announcing: “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” The British retreated back to Canada and Americans under General William Henry Harrison followed and defeated them at the Battle of the Thames

6. Course:War in the West and South • In 1813 Creek warriors attacked southern settlements • Andrew Jackson led forces out of Georgia in 1814 and defeated the Creeks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend • The Creeks were forced to give up millions of acres of land as a consequence of the fighting

7. Course:Final Battles • The British sent more troops to America in 1814 after defeating Napoleon in Europe • The British attacked Washington D.C. in August 1814 and burned down many buildings including the White House • They moved on to Baltimore and Fort McHenry • Francis Scott Key watched the bombardment of Fort McHenry on September 13, 1814 and marveled at the still-waving American flag; he wrote the Star Spangled Banner on the back of an old envelop shortly thereafter; later set to music, it was adopted as the national anthem in 1931

8. Course:Final Battles • On Christmas eve, 1814, Britain and the U.S. signed the Treaty of Ghent, named after the Belgian city where peace talks occurred • News of the Treaty took weeks to reach the U.S. and in that time Andrew Jackson won a startling victory in New Orleans (January 1815) in what was known as the Battle of New Orleans

9. Consequences • Treaty of Ghent (1814) returned things to how they had been before the war • Increased sense of national pride—the War of 1812 is often called the “second war for independence” • A lack of goods caused by the interuption of trade boosted American manufacturing • Native American resistance weakened

10. Assignment Create a movie poster about the War of 1812. Include the following: • An image or two from the war • Amovie title • Acatchy tag-line that includes reference to the causes and/or consequences of the war • Credits at the bottom that include reference to important people from the war.