-
President Madision Takes Office
James Madison was the fourth president. He became president in 1809. He was president during the War of 1812. -
Period: to
The War of 1812
-
War Hawks Takes Power
In 1810 war hawks Henry Clay and John Calhoun became members of the House of Representitives. A war hawk is anyone who was eager for war with Britain. The number of war hawks was least in New England. -
Relations with Great Britain Worsens
In the spring of 1812 the British said they woud keep impressing American saliors. Impressment is the act of forcing someone into service. Britain also armed Native Americans to fight. -
Congress Declares War on Britain
In June of 1812 Congress declared war on Great Britain. The war did not come at a good point in time for the Brtitish beacuse they were still at war with France in Europe. Because the British were not willing to meet Americans demands to avoid war, Britain armed Native Americans to protect Canada. -
America is not Ready for War
Americans were confident they would win when the war began but they soon relized they were not ready for war. Jeffersons cuts had reduced the size of the military. The navy now had only 16 warships. The army had less than 7,000 men. -
Britain Blockades American Ports
Britain blockaded American ports in the early days of the war. The British navy had 135 warships blocking American ports by 1814. Eventualy, Britain was able to blockade all American ports. -
Invasion of Canada
American troops under General William Hull invaded Canada. Being unsure of himself he soon retreated back into Detriot. The British took advantage of his confusion, capturing over 2,000 soldiers. -
USS Constitution scores a victory
The USS Constitution was a large warship that defeated the British Gueriere in a major battle at sea. American soliders nicknames the ship "Old Ironsides". The ship was nicknamed this because, since British artillary fire bounced off the ships wodden hull, the ship seemed to be man of iron. -
Second Battle of Sackets Harbor
The second battle of Sackets Harbor took place when British forces crossed Lake Ontario and attempted to capture the town of Sackets Harbor. The battle took place on land and in the lake. A total of 265 British men were killed, wounded, or taken prisioner and American casualties and losses equaled 307. -
Battle of Lake Erie
The battle of Lake Erie was fought near Put-in-Bay, Ohio. The United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Britain's Navy. There was a total of 68 losses. -
Battle of Thames
The battle of Thames took place near Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada. The Native Americans helped the British fight America in this battle. Among the dead was Shawnee cheif Tecumseh. -
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
The battle of Horseshoe Bend took place near Dadeville, Alabama. In this battle Native Americans sided with the Americans. This battle ended the Creek War. -
Battle of Fort Oswego
The Battle of Fort Oswego was a British raid on an American Fort in upstate New York. The raid was only partially successful. British soldiers got 2,400 barrels of useful materials but did not capture Oswego. -
Washington D.C. Attacked and Burned
In August of 1814, Britain developed a new strategy. The new strategy was to attack Washington D.C., the nations capital. The British attacked on burned many government buildings including the White House. -
Attack on Baltimore
After the attack, the British moved to Baltimore.Their first target was Fort Mchenry, which defended the harbor. The Americans fought of the British leaving the American flag flying over the fort. -
The Writing of the Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key. It began as a poem he wrote after witnessing the attack on Baltimore, waking up in the morning, and seeing the flag waving high above the fort. The poem was set to music, and in 1931 Congress made the song the national anthem. -
Battle of Plattsburgh
The Battle of Plattsburg ended the envasion of the northern states. The forces includes 14 warships and 3,400 men on the American side, with 16 warships and 10,000 men. The battle ended shortly before the singing of the Treaty of Ghent. -
Hartford Convention
The Hartford Convention was a meeting held by a group of Federalists.Many delegates thought the New England staes should withdraw from the US. Luckily though, while this topic was being debated, news of the peace treaty arived and the convention ended. -
Treaty of Ghent
Peace talks began in Ghent, Belguim. On Christmas Eve of 1814, both sides signed the Treaty of Ghent. This treaty ended the war of 1812. -
Battle of New Orleans
The news of the treaty began signed did not immediatly reach America. During this time, the two sides fought one last battle. American forces defeated the British Army that was trying to seize New Orlens.
