The War of 1812 was another war with Britain. The United States did not do so well in many of the battles. Some call the War of 1812 a second war of independence. The British were a powerful nation. They had the strongest navy in the world. Why did we go to war with them again?
Britain was doing things that were hurting America. They were hurting our interests. Our people could not expand like they wanted. We could not trade as freely as we wanted. The British were helping the Native Americans. This made westward expansion harder. Many Americans wanted to move west. Trade was also hurt because the British would not trade fairly.
Reasons for the War of 1812
British did not leave the Great Lakes area
British ships impressed U.S. sailors (Took them captive)
British kept helping the Native Americans
British would not do favorable trade with the U.S.
American war hawks were itching for combat (looking for a fight).
An early victory of the war helped America. It was a much needed boost. A ship called the U.S.S. Constitution went to battle against the HMS Guerriere. The Guerriere was one of the very ships that had impressed U.S. sailors. Impressed means to capture and keep someone. The ships showered each other with cannon fire. The hull of the Constitution was built extra strong. It was made with sturdy white oak and a copper shell. The copper shell was made by Paul Revere. In the battle, the Guerriere had its main masts snapped and 30 holes blasted into her sides. The American ship won the battle and the British ship surrendered. It was a good victory for the Americans. The American ship left Boston Harbor the U.S.S. Constitution and returned 'Old Ironsides.'
Not all Americans were in favor of the war. Many were against it. The New England states were against it. They threatened to secede. They said that they would separate themselves from the nation. Many called it 'Madison's War.' James Madison was the President at the time. He declared war to stand up to the British.
Providing troops for the war was a challenge. States did not want to have their militias help the national army. New England states were those that were most against the war.
A few things were notable about the War of 1812. They are good to know and remember.
One thing was that British forces attacked and burned the Capitol in 1814. Almost every government building was torched. The Capitol and White House were destroyed by the fires. President and Mrs. Madison had to flee.
One thing was that British forces attacked and burned the Capitol in 1814. Almost every government building was torched. The Capitol and White House were destroyed by the fires. President and Mrs. Madison had to flee.
Another interesting thing was that a special poem was written by Francis Scott Key.
Key had become a prisoner of the British. At the time the British were attacking and bombing Fort McHenry. Key put his words and feelings to paper. The poem was the ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’ It is now our national anthem. The British failed to defeat the U.S. at Fort McHenry.
Text by Francis Scott Key
Music by John Stafford Smith
1. Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thru the night that our flag was still there.
Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
2. On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
3. Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
The Battle of New Orleans was the last major battle of the war. It took place in January 1815. It was actually after the war was over. The treaty was signed on December 24, 1814. The battle was important to the United States because it was one of our few big wins. There had not been so many good wins for our country. Andrew Jackson was the American general. He became well known because of his role as the commander.
It was amazing that American troops won the Battle of New Orleans. Many of the British plans did not work out. The British could only get part of their troops to the battle. The Mississippi River currents were too strong. They carried British barges below the planned landing area. They had planned to attack before dawn. That did not happen. The British planned to climb up and over a dirt wall. They needed ladders to climb over it. The ladders arrived late. At first, there was a thick fog that hid the British attack. Then the fog lifted, at the last minute. The British were left out in the open. There were twice as many British soldiers at the battle. The British had many more ships. More than 50 ships were in the British fleet. There were over 10,000 British troops to call upon. Those troops were some of the best-trained soldiers in the world. They had just defeated Napoleon in Europe. American troops were a rough group. They had been pulled together from many places and were poorly trained. The American troops were a rag tag army. The British called them the "Dirty Shirts."
In the end, Britain lost 2,000 men in the battle. America only lost 71. It was a big victory for the Americans. Jackson said that a heavenly power shielded or protected them. Others said the same thing. It was amazing! There were so many odds against them. How could they have possibly won? There seemed to be a 'manifest destiny' for America.
There are some other important things that took place. Think about these key people. See the chart below. These people and events shaped the country during this time.
Key Things Out of the War of 1812
Francis Scott Key- British prisoner at Fort McHenry who wrote a poem that became the National Anthem
William Harrison- Successful army commander who later became U.S. President
Tecumseh- Key Shawnee Chief that united tribes but was killed in battle
Andrew Jackson- Army general who won at Battle of New Orleans and later became U.S. President
Daniel Webster- Congressman who opposed enlistment and later ran for U.S. President
Dolley Madison- President's wife who saved valued treasures and was beloved of many
Did you know about the flag that that flew at Fort McHenry when the "Star-Spangled Banner" was written? It had 15 stars and 15 stripes. There were 15 because of the addition of two new states, Vermont and Kentucky. The flag that flew the morning after the shelling was called a garrison flag. It measured 30 by 42 feet. This is one fourth the size of a modern basketball court. Each star was two feet across and the stripes two feet tall. It was made to be seen from a distance.
Many of the people of Britain were tired of war. They did not want to keep fighting the War of 1812. They had been fighting France for 20 years. America was ready to be done with the fighting too. At the Treaty of Ghent the war was ended. This took place on Christmas Eve in December 1814.
At this time, travel on the Mississippi was changing. People were using flatboats and keelboats. These boats were replacing canoes and pirogues. Flatboats could carry five or six hundred barrels of farm products. A trip to New Orleans could be made in two to three weeks. Getting to market by water could often be quicker and easier than by land. Many travelers used the Mississippi. Many also used the tributaries or rivers that fed into the Mississippi. They came from Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, and many other states.
Life on a flatboat was interesting. Usually five men were needed to handle a flatboat. The trip was dangerous. There were snags, Indian raiders, river pirates, and difficult currents. For safety, flatboat travelers would travel during the day. At night they would tie up on the bank. A safe way to travel was in fleets. Some fleets had as many as 20 boats. Members of a fleet watched out for each other. Rough sheds were built on top of the flatboats. The sheds would protect the goods. They were also used as sleeping quarters for the crew. When they would arrive in Louisiana, flatboats were emptied and sold for the wood. Then the crews would make the three or four month return trip home.
In 1808, a traveler in Natchez counted 83 flatboats at one time that were on their way down the river. There were 598 flatboats and 321 barges that reached New Orleans in 1814. A few years later that number reached several thousand every year.
In 1811 the first steamboat was built and used on the Mississippi. It was named the New Orleans. Then there others, like the Comet and Vesuvius. The Enterprise was the first Mississippi steamboat that could make a return trip back up the river. The captain of the Enterprise was Henry M. Shreve.
Captain Shreve later designed a boat that only needed three feet of water to keep it afloat. This was ideal for the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Those boats also had a paddle wheel at the stern.
New Orleans became an important economic center. It was important to the western interior. After the Louisiana Purchase, trade from the interior states grew rapidly. New Orleans became the destination of many river travelers. Many that wanted to sell goods at market could do it more easily by sending their goods to New Orleans.
Text Credits:
http://www.ushistory.org/us/21.asp;
http://www.history.com/topics/war-of-1812;
"USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere" article by Robert McNamara;
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/navalbattles1800s/p/Constitution.htm;
Flag-War of 1812- http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_SI/nmah/starflag.htm;
Battle of New Orleans- The American Miracle: Divine Providence in the Rise of the Republic, Michael Medved;
The Story of Louisiana by William O. Scroggs;