Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

The War Begins

- England tried to avoid another war with the United States because they were still fighting against the French

- to avoid war with the Americans, they stopped interfering with American ships

- the first phase of the war (1812 – 1814), England spent little time and resources fighting us because of the French

- the second phase of the war (April – December, 1814), England had defeated France, so they spent all their energies and resources fighting against the United States

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

- the United States only had 16 ships and 7,000 soldiers when we declared war on England in the summer of 1812!!!!

The First Phase of the War

- the U.S. navy rose to the challenge against England and proved faster & more experienced

- the most important naval battle occurred on Lake Erie in September of 1813, which involved naval officer, Oliver Hazard Perry Oliver Hazard

Perry

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

- a small fleet of British ships set out on Lake Erie to destroy the fleet of American ships stationed on the shores

- Perry’s ship, the Lawrence, flew a banner declaring, “Don’t give up the ship.”

- in just over two hours, Perry’s ships were able to defeat the British in the Battle of Lake Erie

- Perry relayed a message to William Henry Harrison saying, “We have met the enemy and they are ours!”

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

- Harrison set out to attack the British after reading Perry’s message, but found they were no longer on Lake Erie

- the British had retreated to Canada, but Harrison still pursued and defeated them at the Battle of the Thames

- this victory put an end to the British threat to the Northwest and also claimed the life of Tecumseh, who died in battle fighting for the British

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

The Second Phase of the War

- after defeating Napoleon Bonaparte in 1814, England turned their full attention to the United States

- by August, they had burned down the White House in Washington D.C. & attacked Fort McHenry in Baltimore

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

- Francis Scott Key, a Washington lawyer, watched the British attack Fort McHenry all night long and wrote the U.S. national anthem after discovering the flag in the fort was still flying high in the morning; “Oh say can you see by the dawn’s early light”

- by September of 1814, British soldiers tried to cut off New England, but were defeated in the Battle of Lake Champlain

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

- in the south, the British also tried to attack the port of New Orleans in January of 1815, but were mowed down by General Andrew Jackson’s men

- England lost 2,000 soldiers and we lost 71!

- slow mail had delayed news that the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war of 1812, had been signed in December

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

Ch.10, Sec.4 – The War of 1812

The Legacy of the War

- no clear winner was declared, but Andrew Jackson & Oliver Hazard Perry were considered heroes

- the Native American resistance was crushed, and the U.S. was forced to make many of its own goods, thus increasing domestic manufacturing

- America was about to enter into a growth phase!