Origins of War of 1812

• U.S. becomes most important neutral carrier
• French & Spanish West Indies opened to U.S.
• but this violated Rule of 1756
  • trade closed in peace not open in war

• Barcelona to Salem to Havana = "broken voyage"
• significance:
  • ended U.S.-Brit. rapprochement (no Rufus King)
  • Brit. blockade begins (Leander kills John Pierce)
  • Congress retaliates with nonimportation act

1805 Dec. 2 - Napoleon defeats Austria & Russia at Austerlitz

1806 Dec. 31 - Monroe-Pinkney pact fails

1806 May 16 - Brit proclaims Europe blockade

1806 Nov. 21 - Berlin Decree begins Continental System

1807 Jan. 7 - Order in Council closes Europe ports 1807 June 22 - Chesapeake vs. Leopard

• Capt. Barron unprepared; no loggerheads
• 3 killed, 4 impressed
• Brit. board the Caravan in Macao

• special session of Congress
• closed U.S. waters
• recall Med. Squadron
• ready gunboats, 7 coastal forts
• 100,000 militia; "we will take Canada"

1807 Dec. 22 - Embargo Act

• "peaceful coercion ... a successful failure"
• exports drop $108m. to $22m.
• imports drop $138m to $56m.
• coastal trade bonded; whalers exempt
• amend. allows return "ballast" (800 ships)
• states allowed to license flour shipping
• special presidential exemptions (Astor)

1808 Apr. 17 - Bayonne Decree

• assumed any U.S. ship violated Embargo

• exports OK, but not to Brit or France

1809 Mar. 4 - Madison inauguration

• but Repub divided: Randolph, Clinton

1809 Apr. 19 - Erskine affair

• but Canning demands Rule of 1756

1809 June 10 - Madison's 1st blunder

• ends nonintercourse with Brit prematurely
• reimposed 2 months later

1810 Mar. 23 - Rambouillet Decree

• France seizes U.S. ships in French ports

1810 May 1 - Macons Bill No. 2

• Congress restores trade, but if Brit or France revoked decrees, U.S. to halt trade with the other

1810 Aug. 5 - Cadore letter

• France agrees to Macons Bill, but with nullifying string that Brit would also revoke

1810 Nov. 2 - Madison accepts France offer

• nonintercourse with Brit in 3 months
• but Brit does not revoke decrees = impasse

• Madison fears war is inevitable

1811 Mar. 10 - Henry letters

• showed New England plot with Canada

1811 May 16 - Little Belt incident

• USS President fires on HMS Little Belt

1811 June 1 - Foster begins change in Brit policy

• pays Chesapeake claims

1811 Nov. 7 - Battle of Tippecanoe

• Harrison negotiations fail Nov. 6 with Tenskwatawa (Prophet)
• Prophet promises warriors that white man's bullets will not harm them, and attacks Harrison's camp (Fort Harrison) in early morning; Harrison awakens and hastily mounts the horse of his aide in front of his tent; Indians attack tent with Harrison's gray mare tied outside and kill the aide, but Hrrison on the aide's horse leads army to repel the Indian attacks.
• finds Brit arms on the Wabash and burns Prophetstown
• Tecumseh web page

• rise of the War Hawks led by Clay
• vote to increase Army (not Navy), tariff, direct taxes

1812 Apr. 4 - 90-day embargo begins

1812 May 11 - PM Perceval killed; new PM Liverpool

• Castlereagh repeal decrees June 16

1812 June-Oct. - Napoleon invades Russia with 600,000

1812 June 1 - Madison war message to Congress

1. impressment
2. ships stopped off U.S. ports
3. blockade
4. Brit Orders in Council
5. Indians

1812 June 17 - Senate passed war bill 19-13

1812 June 18 - Madison signed war bill

Mr. Madison's War

• no national bank
• strong states rights (Gov. Caleb Strong)
• state militia, privateers
• no centralized command

On to Canada!

1. from Detroit - Gen. William Hull but Mackinack fell July 17 and Indians moved south - Fort Dearborn massacre - William Wells killed
2. from Niagra - Gen. Stephen van Rennselaer - Isaac Brock defends at Queenstown - Gen. Alex. Smythe fails to take Fort Erie
3. from Albany - Gen. Henry Dearborn - Army leadership failed

• 12 frigates, 4 sloops, 200 gunboats, 12 captains

• 15 minute job by Capt. Isaac Hull
• first surrender of a Brit. frigate to an American ship

• James Lawrence: "Don't give up the ship! Fight her till she sinks."

• Special passes required to enter or leave harbors

• George Cockburn brutal raid on Hampton, Va, June 25, 1813

• insurance rate skyrocket for Brit. merchants

• Oliver Hazard Perry builds fleet on Lake Erie
• builder Noah Brown, trader Dan Dobbins
• build Niagra and 8 other gunboats

• Perry loses Lawrence, rows to Niagra
• "We have met the enemy and they are ours: 2 ships, 2 brigs, 1 schooner, and 1 sloop"

• Brit Henry Proctor and Tecumseh retreat
• Tecumseh killed, 1000 Indians retreat

• Russia, Prussia, Austria allied
• Napoleon abdicates Apr. 11, 1814

• Brit. begin 3 invasions

• Thomas Macdonough stops George Prevost on Lake Champlain

• Gen. William Winder has no militia
• Robert Ross eats Dolly's dinner Aug. 24

Russian peace proposal Mar. 1813

• Gallatin, Bayard, JQ Adams to St. Petersburg
• Clay, J Russell et. al. to Ghent Nov. 1813
• Brit 3 arrive Aug. 1814 - demand Indian buffer state

• end hostilities, status quo ante bellum
• boundary commissions

Battle of New Orleans Jan. 8, 1815

• Andrew Jackson from Creek War

Hartford Convention Dec. 15, 1814

• Federalist plan to revise Constitution

• end of revolution (Congress of Vienna)
• end of Federalists (James Monroe)
• beginning of nationalism (Lowell and Astor)
• shift westward (Fort Osage)
• Indian dispossession (Black Hawk)
• Canada friendship (Rush-Bagot)