
Rising Conflict • The Barbary Pirates • Began attacking American trading ships after the American Revolution • Took property and enslaved sailors • We began to pay a tribute – money for protection – the pirates • Why did major countries do this?
Jefferson’s Answer • He stops tribute payments and sends war ships to protect American trading ships
Barbary Pirates • The warship Philadelphia was stranded and raided • Over 300 sailors were captured • To keep pirates from using the ship, Stephen Decatur burned the Philadelphia down
What had Washington warned us about? Remain neutral!
Remaining neutral • The US continued to trade with Britain and France • Makes us a lot of money • The North depends heavily on trade • Britain and France were looking for ways to hurt the other • Both sides seize American ships to cut off the others trade • France took 500 ships; Britain over 1,000
Britain needs sailors… Impressment ~ forcing Americans to fight in the British navy
Embargo – gov’t order forbidding foreign trade
Jefferson’s Embargo • 30,000 American sailors out of work • Farmers could not sell their surplus overseas • Ship owners boats not used • Dockworkers had nothing to load or unload • Bartenders who lost their sailor customers
Why didn’t France or Britain care? • Napoleon – could get what he wanted from Europe • Britain could trade anywhere else in the world Lesson Learned: Europe doesn’t need to trade with the US
Why go to war? • Tecumseh and the Prophet • Two Shawnee Indians who began urging the Native Americans to go to war against the US • Why? To take back their land • They organized western tribes into leagues to restore Indian lands
Battle of Tippiecanoe • William Henry Harrison, governor of Indiana territory marched 1,000 soldiers against Tecumseh and his league • Tecumseh was defeated
What does Britain have to do with this? They were arming the Native Americans! • Sort of…GB had given some arms to the Native Americans through trade but they weren’t arming them to fight the Americans
We Want War! • This did not matter to some… Strike One: Arming the Native Americans Strike Two: Impressing our sailors War Hawks – Nationalists who wanted war with Britain
Strike Three • Britain declared in early 1812 that they would not stop impressment • Congress declares war in 1812
Our Reasons Strike One: Arming the Native Americans Strike Two: Impressing our sailors Strike Three: Britain says that they won’t stop impressing our sailors Are these good reasons? Nationalism – a pride in one’s country
Early War Positives Negatives • Great Britain was at war with France • Our army and navy were greatly reduced • Embargo Act had hurt our economy • Great Britain set up a blockade of our coast