Ch.7+War+of+1812

__**War of 1812**__ Three of the most influential factors of the [|War of 1812] were: British practice of impressment, Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, and the Embargo Act of 1807. British sailors went around searching ship for dissenters from the Royal Navy and captured them, even some that weren't even British. This led to the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair. The British warship Leopard fired on the U.S. warship Chesapeake because the commander of the ship refused to allow the British to search the ship. The Leopard was much better equipped so the Chesapeake had to to surrender and four sailors were captured. The [|Embargo Act] was used as a method to try to persuade the British to stop the use of impressment. This measure prohibited U.S. ships from sailing to any foreign port. Instead U.S. economy dropped and it didn't really affect the British. __Other Factors__

Conflict in the border was also causing distress to Americans. Indian leader, Tecumseh gathered up forces to defend and gain the territory white settlers had taken away from them over the years. During the Battle of Tippecanoe William Henry Harrison destroyed Shawnee headquarters and put down the Indian insurrection. The indians had some success in fighting with the help of the British who had provided them with guns and who was now held responsible for the rising of the rebellion. Continued delays to meet the neutral rights of the U.S. and the continious use of impressment led to a pro-war feeling in Congress and among the American population but the feeling was not equal in different parts.. The people in Congress that were pro-war were called the warhawks. Most of them were from western states who had been the most affected by the Indian raids. The two most famous warhawks were Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun who argued that war with Britain would be the only way to defend American honor and destroy Indian resistance. __During the War__

Opposition was the strongest in the North. Northern merchants were oppossed because the Embargo Act was repeal so now they were making considerable profit. Federalists opposition was due to the belief that the Republicans were fighting this war to conquer Canada and Florida to gain Republican votes.

Although the British had a much better naval force, the most crucial battles were won in the sea. Victory by Captain Oliver Hazard Perry gave way to the victory of William Henry Harrison at the Battle of the Thames Riiver in which Tecumseh was killed. The other crucial victory was the one of Captain Thomas Mcdonough who defeated the British on Lake Champlain and prevented them to take over New England and New York. After the defeat of the French, the British increased their forces in North American. A British army marched through Washington, D.C. and set the White House and the Capitol on fire and also tried to take over Baltimore but Fort McHenry defended the city well after the British bombarded it. During this even Francis Scott Key wrote the "[|Star-Spangled Banner."] The next crucial battle would be the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in which General Andrew Jackson defeated the Creek nation, eliminating the only ally of the British, therefore shrinking the number of men on their side. After this battle Jackson would march to New Orleans were he defeated the British again to put an end to the war although Americans and the British had already signed a peace treaty two week earlier.

__Ending the War and Its Results__

The Treaty of Ghent was signed in 1814 putting an end to all fighting, returning all conquered territory to its original owner, and the recognition of the prewar boundary dividing the U.S. and Canada. Before the war ended, delegates from the Northern states gathered and discussed the idea of secession from the Union in a convention called the Hartford Convention. They ended up voting against secession but declared that in the future and two-thirds majority in both houses must vote on a declaration of war.

Now that the U.S. had gone through two wars and survived, they believed that they earned the respect of other nations, specially the British. The war also marked the decline and end of the Federalist party who were now viewed as unpatriotic. The Native American, who were defeated, were now forced to move back and give up land for white settlement and the U.S. also became more [[Ch.7 Industrialism and Growing Cities|industrial.

]]__Works Cited__

American History textbook by Alan Brinkley United States History: Preparing for the Advance Placement Examination by John J.Newman and John M. Schmalbach [|Information on the War of 1812] [|Information on the War of 1812]