The War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won

Week 8: Nonfiction / Biography Book ProjectThe War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won, Wesley B. Turner (2000)

Richard JamesHistory 201.90 at Post UniversityInstructor: Kimberly BlanchetFebruary 23, 2015

Presented by Richard JamesThe War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won

PreambleBeginning with Napoleon, in November of 1806, ordering all ports under his control to be closed-off to British ships, in an attempt to wage economic warfare against the British Crown, would usher forth a series of events that would lead up to the War of 1812 in North America. Key events that precipitated the War of 1812I. Britain Orders in Council: shipping licenses were required that were bound for Europe; France ships would be seized if entering British ports before entering continental ports, which leads to: neutral American ships being harassed, cargo seized by both France and Britain II. Impressment seizing for public use, impressing into public service of American sailors, by way of kidnapping, forcing the sailors to join the British Royal Navy; several British seaman deserted their vessels, became naturalized U.S. citizens, and joined American seaman Key Events contdIII. The Embargo Act (1807) sponsored by Thomas Jefferson, enacted under Congressional approval, was a general embargo that made illegal any and all exports from the United States arrested trade with Europe, which resulted in disapproval from northern cities in America (particularly in New England).IV. Subterfuge British dealing and supplying arms to Native Americans:The plan of the British, by arming the Natives, was for the Indians to attack and fight American settlers moving west. Key Events contd V. Non-Intercourse Act (1809) replaced the Embargo Act (1807), drafted to lift the embargoes on American shipping except, of course, in ports that were under the control of Britain and France.

Despite its intent, the bill had little-to-no effect on Britain and Frances economies; contributed to the War of 1812. However, the bill allowed for trade to resume once restrictions from France and Britain were lifted against the U.S.

Key events contdVI. Thomas Jeffersons Secretary of State, key contributor to the U.S. Constitution and bill of Rights, James Madison, a Democratic-Republican, enters the office of President of the United States in 1809. With a weakened Federalist party and War Hawk Republicans wanting to take a more aggressive stance against Britains practices of encroachment, Madison began to realize, through coercion from Republicans, that declaring war against Britain was the only solution against Britain's maritime bullying tactics and its support and assistance to Indians.

James Madison, U.S. Pres. 1809-1817

War. What WAs it Good for?!?!After Pres. Madison declared war against Great Britain on June 1, 1812, there were some benefits and drawbacks that came along with embarking into a risky endeavor.

Benefits:Reestablishes trade with EuropeEstablishes a sense of national pride, jingoistic idealsExpansionism invade and annex Upper and Lower CanadaRelinquish the impressment of U.S. sailors at the hands of the British

Drawbacks:Not everyone was on board with the prospect of waging war with a key trading partner

A Small Navy (22 ships in total) and military for the U.S., made up of mostly militiamen who werent keen about fighting outside of their respective states and regionsFear of Losing to Britain. After acquiring significant territory gained from the Treaty of Paris (1783), Louisiana purchase (1803), losing to Britain could possibly hand said territories over to the victors

On the left: Map of Eastern North America, 1812Mr. Madisons war!Proclamation of War -Pres. James Madison sets the wheels of war in motion when he, on June the 1st, 1812, asks Congress to declare war against Great Britain. The vote for war, however, narrowly passed, due in part to regional differences: the West and South pro-War; the East and North anti-War; result of the vote reflected how the looming prospect of war polarized the country. War against Britain officially began with an invasion of Upper Canada from Detroit, under the command of Brigadier-Gen. William Hull on July 12, 1812.

Battles are Fought, so That Wars can be WonAs many may know, the War of 1812 was a conflict that involved Great Britain the puissant global power, and the ambitious upstart U.S. But several of the key battles took place around the U.S.-Canadian border. Obviously, one of Americas primary objectives behind engaging in war against Britain was to invade and annex Canada.

Which leads one to ask: What were the key battles fought during the War of 1812?The Battle of Queenston Heights the first significant battle of the war, October 13, 1812; Britain would lose Major-General (Sir) Isaac Brock in the skirmish, U.S.s incompetent leadership which would become a reoccurring theme would lose the battle.

Death of General Sir Isaac Brock at The Battle of Queenston Heights Sacking of YorkThe Battle of York, April 27, 1813 Of the many battles and skirmishes fought during the War of 1812, the Battle of York may have been the most controversial of them all. Early morning of April 27, 1813: The Americans, with approximately 1700 crewmen, with a flotilla of 16 ships, under the command of Commander Isaac Chauncey, navigated their way to the capital of Upper Canada Fort York (modern-day Toronto). Strategically landing west of where there were little-to-no defenses, the Americans surprised and quickly suppressed the 700 or so servicemen; and a disinclined group of militiamen defending the fort. The British General, Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe, along with the rest of his garrison, hastily retreated and would eventually surrender, as the American forces took full control of the poorly-defended citadel. While under American control, Fort York would be ravaged and sacked: looting, random acts of violence committed against the citizenry, and the burning of homes and businesses at the hands of American troops. Major-General Dearborn, however, emphatically denied any culpability for the wanton behavior of his troops. Some have argued that, by pillaging York, the Americans were sending a message to the Canadians to join the U.S., and expel the British from the continent but such grandiose plans did not come to fruition. And as we will learn later on: with every action, theres an opposite reaction and that opposite reaction, in this instance, would be the destruction of the U.S. capital: Washington, D.C. On the left: A Contingent of American Naval ships arrive at Fort York, April 27, 1813.

Battle of Stoney CreekThe Battle of Stoney Creek, June 6, 1812 Under the leadership of both Commander Isaac Chauncey and Colonel Winfield Scott, the Americans would capture Fort George in the Niagara frontier. The British, after losing Fort George, would hastily retreat. However, American Major-General Henry Dearborn, in his advanced age, was slow to pursue the retreating British, allowed British Commanding Officer John Vincent and the British militia to regroup. Dearborns languid approach towards pursuing the British would later be costly for the Americans. For on June the 5th, as the Americans camped at Stoney Creek, the British located their whereabouts and plotted a night attack, which was carried out on the night of June 6. The Americans in disarray, being caught off guard, would lose decisively. This particular battle was significant, because it would be the last time the Americans would advance into the Niagara region of Upper Canada. Battle of Lake ErieBattle of Lake Erie: O.H. Perry Defeats Britain (Sept. 1813) Admiral Perrys defeat of a Captain Robert Heriot Barclay-led, 6-vesseled British Royal Navy would insure American control of Lake Erie which, at the time, would change the entire military situation for the western-half of Upper Canada.

Battle of Lake Erie by William Henry Powell, painted 1865, shows Oliver Hazard Perry transferring from Lawrence to Niagara [A]British Coastal BlockadeThe British Blockade of the American Eastern Seaboard As the Napoleonic Wars neared an end in Europe, the British began to turn its attention towards North America and the War of 1812. British naval forces, starting in January of 1813, would become more active and aggressive, patrolling the American east coast of (And Gulf of Mexico), particularly around the Chesapeake Bay area. The concept behind imposing a blockade was to try and prevent American exports, shipping vessels from sailing out; raiding key naval bases, towns of wealth and political significance (Washington, D.C. in particular)

1814: British-planned, three-pronged offensiveThe burning of WashingtonThe Burning of Washington, August 24, 1814 After running roughshod over the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg (August 19), the British, commanded by Major-General Robert Ross, set their course for a loftier goal the U.S. capital: Washington, D.C. Thanks to the naivet and utter incompetence of Americas leadership James Madison, Brigadier-General William Winder, James Monroe the British, along with a vengeful Canadian militia, made their way to Washington unabated, with destructive intents: burning several public buildings, including what would later become the White House. Once the British and its contingency militia was done with Washington, they initially had intentions of vacating the Chesapeake Bay area. But after being persuaded by Rear Admiral George Cockburn and Major-General Robert Ross to push forward, Vice Admiral Alexander Cochran decided set sail for an invasion of Baltimore.

On the left: The Burning of the Presidential Home (later to be named White House, because the walls that were left standing, covered in soot after the fire, were covered over with whitewash; henceforth, the name White House.)The Brits Stop HereThe Battle of Baltimore, September 1215, 1814: The British had just polished off Washington, feeling good and high-stepping proudly through the tulips, were now primed and ready to take down Baltimore. But the Baltimoreans, who may or may not have been aware of the British onslaught just 40 miles southwest of their city, were, in any event, well prepared. When the British troops arrived at Baltimore harbor, on September 12 of 1814, they were met with tough, well-organized resistance of which was sorely lacking in Washington. British Vice-Admiral Alexander Cochran wasnt bullish about the prospect of using the British ground forces early on in the campaign. beginning around 8am, on the morning of September 13, to aid the ground forces, Admiral Cochran ordered his ships to bombard Fort McHenry with guns and rockets attacking the core of the citys defensive infrastructure. And after a full day September 14-15 of heavy shelling, (a Baltimore lawyer named Francis Scott Key, witnessing the bombardment, penned the words from a poem, while using the song "The Anacreontic Heaven as a basis to what would become the Star-Spangled Banner Americas national anthem) British commanders had decided they had achieved their objective; and continuing the fight wasnt worth the heavy losses that could ensue. So on September 15, the British army was back on their ships, preparing to vacate Chesapeake Bay.

The Battle of Baltimore was no more. On the right: A view of the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British, 1814

Treaty of Ghent (1814)The Treaty of Ghent, December 24, 1814 With both sides coming to an accord, the Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814 in Belgium, ended the War of 1812. Under the treaty, both sides had to return whatever possessions it had conquered. But unfortunately for the Indians, there was to be no independent nation set aside for them; nor was there anything mentioned regarding impressment, blockades, or rights of neutrality. Essentially, the treaty was: a concord designed to end the stalemate between U.S. and Britain; allowed for Britain and the U.S. to settle their differences without engaging in warfare; U.S. gained territory from Spain along the Gulf Coast; Britain had promised to return freed slaves that they had taken (both the U.S. and Britain promised to work towards ending the international slave trade)

On the left: Treaty of Ghent, 1814 On the right: Signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier is shaking hands with the U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Quincy Adams.

Battle of New OrleansThe Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1815 While British and American diplomats were in Belgium, there was a battle which would turn out to be one of the bloodiest of the entire War of 1812 about to be fought in New Orleans between the same two countries planning to sign a peace treaty just weeks before the fighting would commence.A British fleet, under the command of Admiral Alexander Cochran, was anchored in the Gulf of Mexico with 8,000 troops aboard, on December 12, 1814. On December 14, the British, with 1,200 sailors and Royal Marines, would attack an American flotilla that was under the command of American Lieutenant Thomas ap Catesby Jones. After capturing Jones vessels, the British were now free navigate Lake Borgne. Now under the command of General John Keane, the British would row a contingent of soldiers to Pea Island to prepare for an attack on New Orleans. Long story short: the British were sighted in Lake Borgne; Andrew Jackson declared martial law in New Orleans. On December 23, Jackson, with a patchwork of army regulars, frontier militiamen, free blacks, New Orleans aristocrats and Choctaw tribesmen, would attack the British. The British would retaliate with a series of attacks on fortifications but, in the end, would lose the overall battle.

On the right: The Battle of New Orleans with General Andrew JacksonWorks Cited: Wesley B. Turner, The War of 1812: The War Both Sides Won (2000)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madisonhttp://www.friendsoffortgeorge.ca/brocks-monument/battle-of-queenston-heights/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yorkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lake_Eriehttp://www.kingsacademy.com/mhodges/04_American-Government/05_The-Young-Republic/05b_The-War-of-1812.htmhttp://www.examiner.com/article/the-british-burn-washingtonhttp://jasrdunn.blogspot.com/2014/06/concept-art-battle-of-baltimore.htmhttp://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=20http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Dearbornhttps://historicinterpreter.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/the-war-of-1812-and-the-treaty-of-ghenthttp://www.history.com/topics/treaty-of-ghenthttp://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-new-orleanshttp://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/battleofneworleans.htm