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The British Navy's practice of forcibly seizing American sailors and forcing them into their service was a continuous source of tension and a major cause of the war. An estimated 6,000 American sailors were impressed between 1803 and 1812.
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Tecumseh was the charismatic Shawnee chief and military leader who worked to form a confederacy of Native American tribes. He was the political and military force behind the movement, traveling widely to persuade tribes to unite against U.S. expansion. His efforts and alliances with the British were a major cause of the War of 1812. He was killed at the Battle of the Thames in October 1813.
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Known as "The Prophet," Tenskwatawa was Tecumseh's younger brother and the spiritual and religious leader of the confederacy. His teachings called for a return to traditional Native American ways and rejection of American culture. The Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811, is a key event associated with him. While Tecumseh was away, Tenskwatawa unwisely launched an attack on an American army, a defeat that discredited his leadership and weakened the confederacy.
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President George Washington declared that the United States would remain neutral in the conflict between Great Britain and France. This policy was aimed at keeping the young nation out of European wars, but it would be continually challenged by both powers.
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This treaty with Great Britain attempted to resolve issues from the American Revolution. It avoided war but was highly controversial because it was seen by many as too favorable to the British, as it did not end the practice of impressment.
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In his final address, President Washington warned against the formation of political factions and, most notably, urged the nation to avoid "entangling alliances" with foreign powers, reinforcing his policy of neutrality.
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The British warship HMS Leopard attacked the American frigate USS Chesapeake off the coast of Virginia, boarding it and seizing four crew members, claiming they were British deserters. This blatant act of aggression outraged Americans and fueled anti-British sentiment.
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In response to the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair and ongoing impressment, President Thomas Jefferson passed this act, which prohibited all U.S. ships from trading with foreign ports. The goal was to use economic pressure to force Britain and France to respect American neutrality, but it instead devastated the U.S. economy.
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A new generation of politicians, known as the War Hawks, came to power in Congress. Led by figures like Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, they advocated for war with Great Britain to protect American honor, seize Canada, and end British support for Native American resistance. Simultaneously, the Shawnee chief Tecumseh formed a confederacy of Native American tribes to resist U.S. expansion, with British backing.
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President James Madison, under pressure from the War Hawks, signed a declaration of war against Great Britain.
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As the war was ending, a group of New England Federalists, who largely opposed the war, met to discuss their grievances. Some even considered secession. Their actions were seen as disloyal, and the convention ultimately led to the demise of the Federalist Party.
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American and British diplomats signed a peace treaty in Ghent, Belgium, officially ending the war. The treaty restored prewar boundaries and did not address the issues of impressment or neutral rights, but it did effectively end hostilities.
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Weeks after the peace treaty was signed but before news of it reached the United States, American forces led by General Andrew Jackson decisively defeated a much larger British force. This victory, though militarily irrelevant to the outcome of the war, boosted American nationalism and made Jackson a national hero.