Brief PPT on some causes, events, and effects of the War of 1812

1. Causes & Effects
War of 1812

2. Bell Ringer
 Women: War Hawks – Why do you want to go to
war?
 Men: Doves – Why are you opposed to going to
war with Britain?

3. Causes
Neutral Rights
 Madison’s main message to Congress was for the
respect of the US self-determination for trade
 the British (and other European nations, but
mostly British) repeatedly violated and insulted
American shipping

4. Causes
1. Orders in Council
 set up a virtual blockade of Europe
 vessels heading for continental ports had to buy
licenses to trade
 ships had to accept British inspections or be liable
to seizure
2. Napoleon’s “Continental System”
 set up a virtual and literal blockade of Europe
 French blockade of the British Isles
 any neutral ships that complied with the British
regulations would be subject to seizure when they
reached continental ports

5. Causes
3. Impressment
 British boarded American vessels and forcing
British sailors to serve in the British navy (to help
fight the French)
 Chesapeake Incident
 When they refused to be boarded, British fired upon
the US frigate, Chesapeake, killing 3 and wounding
18

6. Causes
4. Battle of Tippecanoe
 the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh, sought to unite
Indian tribes against the westward expanding
Americans
 Governor William Henry Harrison of Indiana
Territory saw the danger of a united Native
American force and struck out against the
Shawnee capital, Prophet’s Town, while
Tecumseh was away
 upon defeating the Shawnee at the Battle of
Tippecanoe, Harrison discovered the Native
Americans were being supplied by the British in
Canada

7. Events
1. War in Canada
a) 1812
 Detroit captured by British
 US failed to take Montreal
b) 1813
 Commodore Perry defeats British fleet on Lake
Erie
 US burns York, the British provincial capital of
Upper Canada
 US retakes Detroit
 Shawnee leader Tecumseh killed at the Battle of
the Thames

8. Events
2. War at Sea
 Only 16 ships
a) 1812
 US Frigates scored several victories
 November British blockade the Chesapeake
and Delaware Bays
b) 1813
 US ships bottled up in port due to blockade

9. Events
3. War in the States
 British raiding and burning US towns along
the Atlantic coast
 With little resistance, British enter
Washington, DC and burn the White
House (revenge for burning York)

10. Events
4. Battle of New Orleans
 Andrew Jackson led a series of 4 battles
defeating British and Native-American
allies
 2 Weeks after the War of 1812 was
officially ended, Jackson defeats British
troops at New Orleans
 Most noteworthy (remembered) victory of
the War

11. Effects/Results
1. Treaty of Ghent
 Armistice Signed 12/24/1814
 Did not settle many of the issues that led
to the War
2. Sense of Victory
 Battle of New Orleans left America feeling
as though they actually won the war
 The exploits of American frigates in their
battles with British ships
3. Intense Feeling of Patriotism

12. Effects/Results
4. Rush-Bagot agreement
 Limited the number of naval vessels the
British were allowed on the Great Lakes
 Began a tradition of an unfortified border
between the US and Canada (the longest in
the world)
5. Convention of 1818
a) Established the northern boundary of the
Louisiana Purchase at the 49th Parallel
b) Oregon Country would be open to joint
occupation between the US and Britain
c) US regained the right to fish off of
Newfoundland and Labrador