War of 1812

• Impressment – – Britain was at war with France– U.S. Merchants were trading with France– The British Navy began seizing American Merchant ships

• forcing American sailors to serve in the British Navy.

• England kept soldiers in forts it held in the territories west of the Appalachian Mountains after America had won the Revolutionary War.– This went against the Treaty of Paris

• Native American Uprisings – – The British were inciting Native American uprisings in the Back Country.

Causes

Important BattlesThe Battle of Bladensburg

• American Militia forces led by General William Winder numbered 6,900 men were defeated by the British is 4500 men• British forces were led by Major General Robert Ross and Admiral George Cockburn • The British forces march to Washington D.C. unopposed• British soldiers burned down the White House, the Capitol building where Congress met, the Library of Congress, and other important buildings.

• On September 13-14, after burning America’s Capitol, the British attacked Fort McHenry.

• Early on September 13, the British Navy opened fire on Fort McHenry– A massive bombardment of heavy mortar shells (bombs),

Cannons, Carcass shells and Congreve rockets ensued for 24 hours.

• The defenders of the Fort, under the command of Major George Armistead returned fire on the British• American soldiers also defeated the British Infantry at North Point and killed British General Robert Ross.

The Battle of Fort McHenry

• On the morning of 14, the British guns fell silent– The bombardment of Fort McHenry was over and the

American’s had not surrendered.– The American Flag that flew over Fort McHenry continued

to defiantly fly over the fort.

• When Francis Scott Key saw the flag flying over the fort, he was so inspired he wrote a poem describing what he had seen. – The Poem later became our national Anthem.

The Battle of Fort McHenry Cont.

The Battle of New Orleans

• Importance – New Orleans is one of America’s key ports. If Britain gained control of this port in this battle they could control American trade on the Mississippi and surround America from the north, west and south.

• Place - New Orleans located in the delta of the Mississippi River.

• Britain wanted to control the Mississippi Delta to profit from American trade.– Britain sent their navy to New Orleans gain control of this

area as well a their Marines.*Interesting Fact: The battle took place after the war had

officially ended. The Treaty of Ghent, which officially ended the War of 1812, had been signed by England and America.

Andrew Jackson &

The Battle of New Orleans

• American forces were commanded by General Andrew Jackson-– Jackson hated the British because he was orphaned by them during the

revolution a was cut and scared by a British officer as a boy.– Jackson was the defender of this key port in America.– He led a mixed group of soldiers, militia, pirates, Creols, frontiersmen,

free black men, and Indians. • Andrew Jackson and his rag-tag soldiers soundly defeat the British.

– American lost 8 men, Britain suffered 2000 casualties.– Andrew Jackson became a national hero– His popularity soared – He used his popularity to eventually become the 7th president of the United States

Important Outcomes• Andrew Jackson become a national hero• The War of 1812 helped encourage Nationalism in

the country – people were proud to be American and viewed

themselves as Americans for the first time• It led to Industrialization in America– Most manufactured goods were imported from Britain

before the war.– During the war Americans still needed manufactured

good but couldn’t get them from England.• Native American power was weakened.– Natives sided with Britain.