A TIME OF
CONFLICT
Americans on Foreign Seas
 Even though storms and pirates made sea
travel dangerous in the early 1800’s, the U.S.
had nearly 1,000 merchant ships by 1800
 Pirates demanded tribute or protection
money
 The U.S. paid the tribute but the ruler of
Tripoli, didn’t think they paid enough. He
declared war on the U.S. when President
Jefferson refused to pay more.
War with Tripoli
 Pirates seized the US warship Philadelphia
and threw the crew in jail.
 Stephen Decatur, 25-year old US Navy
captain burned the Philadelphia so the pirates
couldn’t use it.
 In June 1805, Tripoli agreed to stop demanding
tribute but the US paid $60,000 to get their
prisoners back.
 Tribute payments finally ended in 1815.
Freedom of the Seas
Threatened
 Great Britain and France fighting each other in 1803
 America remained neutral and tried to trade with
each country
 In 1805 Great Britain blockaded France and
threatened to search all ships trading with France;
France did the same thing
 Impressment began. Great Britain said taking only
natural born British citizens but took many native-
born and naturalized American citizens
Attack on the Chesapeake
 British fired on the
American ship the,
Chesapeake,
crippling the ship
and killing 3 of the
crew
 Americans wanted a
war but Jefferson
enacted a trade
The trade embargo was a
embargo against
disaster.
Britain instead
Warhawks
 Young republicans that wanted to go to war against
Great Britain because impressment continued
 Leading War Hawks were Henry Clay from
Kentucky and John Calhoun from South Carolina
 Also Wanted:
 increased military spending,
 more land in Southern Canada and Florida
 And an expansion of America’s power.
 President Madison gave into pressure and declared
war on June 1, 1812.
Conflicts on the Frontier
 In the Ohio River Valley settlers continued to move
onto Native American lands
 Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief, built a confederacy
among the Native American nations in the
Northwest.
 The Native Americans also renewed contracts with
British agents and Canadian trappers, Tecumseh
believed this would help end American movement
into the valley.
 Tecumseh’s brother, the Prophet, urged N.A. to
return to their ancestor’s customs
The Battle of Tippecanoe
 William Henry Harrison
met with Tecumseh and
tried to get him to back
down
 Tecumseh told Harrison
that his people had been
wronged and went South
to expand the
confederacy
 Harrison attacked
Prophetstown on the
Tippecanoe River
 Fought for more than
two hours and the
Native Americans were
defeated
 As a result, Tecumseh
joined forces with the
British.