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Napoleonic Wars
Full scale conflict between France and Great Britain. Both countries took major steps to prevent the United States from interfering with the other. -
Battle of Trafalgar
At the battle of Trafalgar, a British fleet virtually destroyed what was left of the French navy. As a result, Napoleon created the "Continental System", which was designed to close the European continent to British trade. -
Orders in Council
In response to the Continental System, the British established a blockade of the European coast, which required any goods being shipped to Napoleon be carried by British merchants, or in British ports. American ships were caught between these countries violations, and both countries violated America's rights as a neutral nation -
Impressment
Several British sailors deserted the British navy and many joined the American merchant marine and navy. As a result, the British claimed the right to stop and search American ships and reimpress deserters. -
Chesapeake-Leopard Incident
With numerous accussed deserters, James Barron refused to allow the British to search the Chesapeake, and the British ship Leopard opened fire, dragging four men off the American frigate. When the news reached the United States, there was great clamor for revenge. -
The Embargo
To prevent future British incidents, Congress enacted "The Embargo", which prohibited American ships from leaving the United States for any foreign port in the world. The Embargo created a serious depression throughout the nation -
Macon's Bill No. 2
To replace the disruptive Embargo Act, Congress passed Macon's Bill No. 2, which conditionally reopened free commercial relations with Britain and France. The British repealed its blockade of Europe, but the repeal came too late to prevent war. -
Tecumseh and the Prophet
Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh helped create an age of religious fervor and prophecy, and unified many Indians to halt white encroachment on their lands and stop the subjugation -
Florida and War Fever
American settlers seized the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge and the federal government annexed the territory, and began planning to capture the rest of Florida too. This desire for Florida became yet another motive for war with Britain. -
Battle of Tippecanoe
At the Battle of Tippecanoe, William Henry Harrison provoked a battle near Prophetstown, where white forces suffered losses as heavy as those of the Natives, but Harrison drove off the Indians and burned the town -
War Hawks
Henry Clay approved a declaration of war against Britain to gain territory in Canada and Spanish Florida. Henry Clay and John C.Calhoun argued for war along with other Western settlers. They felt as if the British were aiding the Indians and encouraging the Indians to attack the Americans, espcially on the fronteir. -
Early Defeats
Now less preoccupied with Napoleon, the British navy was counterattacking effectively, driving the Americans to cover and imposing a blockade on the U.S. -
Put-in-Bay
American forces, under Oliver Hazard Perry, dispersed a British fleet at Put-in-Bay, which gave the United States control of Lake Erie. This made possible another invasion of Canada by way of Detroit, which could now easily be reached by water. -
Battle of Thames
The Battle of Thames severely weakened and disheartened the Native Americans of the Northwest and greatly diminished their ability to defend their claims to the region. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
Andrew Jackson's men took terrible revenge on the Indians and broke the resistance of the Creeks. The tribe agreed to cede most of its land, and Jackson's army was able to capture the Spanish fort at Pensacola. This battle won Andrew Jackson a commission as a major general in the United States Army. -
The British Invasion
A British armada entered Washington and set fire to public buildings including the White House, and proceeded up to Baltimore. However, Baltimore harbor, guarded by Fort McHenry, was able to block the approaching fleet and sink several British ships to clog the harbor. -
Star Spangled Banner
Francis Scott Key, among a British ship trying to secure the release of an American prisoner, wrote the Star Spangled Banner, which became the national anthem. -
Battle of New Orleans
A formidable array of British veterans landed below New Orleans and prepared to advance north up the Mississippi. Awaiting them was Andrew Jackson's army. The British advanced, but their forces were no match for Jackson's men. The British finally retreated, but not after their army was decimated. -
Peace Settlement
In the aftermath of the war, the British abandoned an Indian state in the Northwest, Americans were able to trade freely with the British Empire, and the Rush-Bagot agreement provided mutual disarmament on the Great Lakes.
