Quick slides on war of 1812

1. Objective: To examine
the major events leading
up to the War of 1812.
Do Now: p. 280 How was
the U.S. able to profit
from the war between
England and France?
• U.S. merchants profited
by selling goods to both
the British and the
French.

2. American merchant Great Britain
I hate you,
French dude!
Je
vous
hais
plus!
You boys can
keep on
killing each
other. If either
of y’all need
anything, just
give us
Yankees a France
holler!

3. Causes of the War of 1812 Great Britain
• In 1803, Britain and
France went to war
again.
• Both
countries
seized U.S.
ships sailing
towards the
ports of their
enemy.
France

4. • Britain continued its’ impressment of U.S. sailors.
Between 1808 and 1811 over 6,000 Americans
were impressed by the British.

5. One cause of the War of 1812 was the British disregard of American
shipping rights. British ships frequently stopped American ships,
confiscated their cargo, and impressed (captured) crew members,
claiming they were deserters from Britain’s Royal Navy.

6. I know what to do! If we
don’t allow American ships to
trade with anyone, then they
won’t get attacked!
True, but
Mr. President,
that’s not
the British
what I had in
and French
mind!
keep seizing
American
merchant
ships.
Something
must be done!
President Thomas American
Jefferson merchant

7. Embargo Act (1807)
• The Embargo Act banned U.S. ships from trading with any
country.
• All imports and exports
were banned!
• This hurt the U.S.
economy!
Non-Intercourse Act (1809)
• Trade with all nations was allowed except Britain or France.

8. The Embargo Act of 1813 is personified by a huge terrapin, who seizes a
smuggler by the pants. The cartoon was aimed at the people of New
England, who, allegedly, were supplying the British with provisions.

9. War Hawks
War Hawks – members of Congress, led by Henry Clay of
Kentucky, that wanted to declare war on Great Britain
34 year old Henry Clay,
Speaker of the U.S. House of Repr
and War Hawk leader.

10. War Hawk’s Rationale for War
I. Nationalism – pride or devotion to one’s country
• Many Americans felt that Great Britain still treated the
United States like a British colony.
II. Revenge
• War Hawk’s wanted to revenge on Britain for seizing
American ships.

11. War Hawk’s Rationale for War
III. Territorial Expansion
• Henry Clay wanted an excuse to conquer Canada from Great
Britain and Florida from Spain.
IV. Native American Attacks
• War Hawks felt that Great Britain was arming Native
Americans on the frontier and encouraging them to attack
Americans.

12. The Prophet and Tecumseh
• Tenskwatawa, also known as “The
Prophet”, believed that in order to
survive, Native Americans had to
give up white ways of life.
Tenskwatawa, also
known as “The Prophet”

13. The Prophet and Tecumseh
• Tecumseh unified many tribes
behind the message of the
Prophet, who was his older
brother.
Chief Tecumseh of the
Shawnee tribe

14. • In 1808, the Prophet built a village for his followers in
Tippecanoe, Indiana.

15. Showdown at Tippecanoe
• In 1811, fearful of the growing
strength of the Prophet and
Tecumseh, Governor William
Henry Harrison led 1,000 troops
against them in the Battle of
Tippecanoe.
William Henry Harrison,
Territorial Governor of Indiana

16. • The battle was viewed by Americans as a major victory, even
though it was unclear which side actually won.