The War of 1812

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Slide 1

Vocabulary 6.4

Impressment

Embargo

Unprepared

Capture

Outnumbered

Blockade

Port

Invade

Allies

A refusal to trade with another country

Friends

To take control of

A place where ships stop

Forcing sailors to work on another ship

Not read

To enter with force

Closing off an area with ships

When the other side has more soldiers/people than you do

Slide 2

The War of 1812

Chapter 6, Section 4

Slide 3

Causes of the War

Impressment

Britain and France were fighting a war in Europe

Britain began capturing American sailors and “impressing” them, or forcing them to work on British ships

By 1807, Britain had seized more than 1,000 American ships

Slide 4

Embargo Act of 1807

President Jefferson convinced Congress to declare an embargo

Jefferson believed the embargo would hurt Britain, but it really hurt America

In 1809, Congress ended the embargo with all countries except Britain and France

Slide 5

America’s Desire for Canada

Americans saw that Canada was not well-defended by Britain

Americans wanted more land and believed that people in Canada would want to join the United States

Slide 6

The War Hawks

A group of Republican Congressmen from the South and West

Wanted war against Britain

Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clary of Kentucky

Slide 7

Election of 1808

James Madison, a Democratic-Republican, won

In the Spring of 1812, Madison decided to go to war against Britain

Slide 8

The War in Canada

Americans were unprepared for war

The British captured Detroit and the Americans failed to capture Canada

Many Native Americans helped the British because they wanted to stop Americans from taking more land

Slide 9

The War at Sea

The U.S. Navy was young and outnumbered

In November of 1812, the British blockaded the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays

The blockade grew throughout the war

By 1813, most American ships were unable to leave their ports

Slide 10