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LESSON 2
The War of 1812
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills
4A Describe the causes and effects
of the War of 1812.
17B Sing or recite “The Star
Spangled Banner” and explain its
history.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION What causes conflict?
It Matters Because
(tl) Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZC4-509]; (tc) Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division [LC-DIG-ppmsca-31112]; (tr) Library of Congress, Prints and
Photographs Division (LC-USZC4-12215)
As the United States grew, conflict grew both inside and outside of its
borders.
On the Brink of War
GUIDING QUESTION What conflicts led to the War of 1812?
Content Vocabulary
neutral (NOO•truhl) not taking
sides
impressment
(ihm•PREHS•mihnt) the British
practice of capturing American
sailors and forcing them to serve
on British ships
embargo
(ihm•BAHR•goh) an order that
blocks or prohibits trade with
another country
War Hawks members of
Congress who supported the war
against Great Britain during the
War of 1812
While Jefferson expanded the country, he also had to deal with a
war overseas. Great Britain and France went to war in 1803. The
United States tried to stay neutral, or not take sides in the war.
Americans continued to trade with both countries. This angered
both the British and the French. Warships from both countries
stopped American merchant ships at sea and took their goods. The
British also forced American sailors to serve on British ships. This
practice, called impressment, enraged Americans.
To protect American ships and lives, an angry Congress passed
the Embargo Act in 1807. An embargo prohibits trade with another
country. The act closed all American ports. It also prevented trade
in American waters. Though it was meant to hurt Great Britain and
France, the law actually weakened the American economy. As the
United States continued to remain neutral, its relationship with
France and Great Britain worsened.
A Call to Arms
Conflict seemed to be on the horizon. In 1810 a new group was
elected to Congress. They were called “War Hawks” because they
wanted to go to war with Great Britain.
Reading! HELP DESK
TAKING NOTES: Key Ideas and Details
As you read, use a chart like this one to record
the results of these two treaties.
Treaty of Ghent
Adams-Onis Treaty
Content Vocabulary
• neutral
• impressment
• embargo
• War Hawks
• tariff
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An engraving showing the
Battle of the Thames, in what
is now Ontario, Canada, and the
death of the Native American
leader Tecumseh
Many War Hawks were settlers from areas west of the
Appalachian Mountains. Native Americans in that area wanted
settlers to stop taking their lands. A Shawnee chief named
Tecumseh tried to unite all western tribes to fight against these
settlers. The British provided support and supplies to Tecumseh and
other Native Americans in the area. This angered the War Hawks.
James Madison’s wife, Dolly,
is credited with saving many
important artifacts from the
White House before it was
burned.
Academic Vocabulary
response (rih•SPAHNS)
something done as a reaction to
something else
In June 1812 Congress declared war on Great Britain. President
James Madison signed the declaration.
Not all Americans supported the war. New England merchants
depended on trade with Great Britain. The Embargo Act had
damaged their businesses, and they feared the war would cause
more problems with trade. Many Americans wanted to settle their
problems with Great Britain peacefully. Many New Englanders
called the war “Mr. Madison’s War.” Today, this war is known as
the War of 1812, although it lasted several years.
During the first two years of the War of 1812, most fighting
occurred west of the Appalachian Mountains, in Canada, and on
the Atlantic Ocean. In 1814 the British invaded the United States in
response to the American invasion of the Canadian city York.
By the time British soldiers marched into the nation’s capitol,
American leaders had fled. This didn’t stop the British from leaving
a trail of destruction throughout Washington, D.C. Most important
government buildings were destroyed, including the White House
and the Capitol. The city was not fully rebuilt until 1819.
(t) Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZC4-509]; (bl) Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division [LC-USZ62-68175]
“Mr. Madison’s War”
Academic Vocabulary
response
protectionism
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As Washington, D.C., lay in ashes, the British attempted to
capture Fort McHenry, near Baltimore, Maryland. Rockets and
cannonballs blasted the fort for 25 hours.
Francis Scott Key, an American prisoner on a British ship off
the coast of Baltimore, watched the nighttime attack. The next
morning, Key saw the American flag flying over Fort McHenry.
He expressed his feelings in “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a poem
that later became our national anthem.
A political cartoon showing
the White House burning and
President Madison leaving
Washington: “Maddy in full
flight”
Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division [LC-DIG-ppmsca-31112]
The War Ends
The Treaty of Ghent ended the war in December 1814. Neither side
won, but both agreed to end the war. News of the treaty traveled
slowly, so fighting continued in the far west. In January 1815,
American troops led by Andrew Jackson crushed the British at the
Battle of New Orleans. As a result, Jackson became a national hero.
Under the treaty, no borders were changed. The United States
maintained control of the Northwest and Louisiana territories, as
well as the Mississippi River. Native American groups that fought
with the British were forced to sign away more of their land. This
allowed more settlers to move into these territories.
Britain wanted to protect its goods from foreign competition. It
started a policy called protectionism. This limited the products
the United States could import to Britain. The British also added
tariffs to American products to make them more expensive. As a
result, Britain made much more money from its exports than the
United States. These policies went against the practice of free trade.
The War of 1812 had many effects on the young nation. Before
the war, much of the world had considered the United States a
Academic Vocabulary
protectionism
(pruh•TEHK•shuh•nih•zuhm)
economic policy that limits
trade by using tariffs or other
restrictions
Content Vocabulary
tariffs (TEHR•uhf) tax placed on
imports and exports
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trouble-making British colony. The war showed that the United
States was a nation willing and able to defend itself.
For the first time since the Revolutionary War, Americans felt
a strong sense of national pride. Those who had been against the
war lost power in government. The lack of major political divisions
created a feeling of unity among Americans. This period became
known as the “Era of Good Feelings.”
The Adams-Onis Treaty
Along with a sense of pride came a desire to expand the country’s
borders. In 1818 Andrew Jackson was sent to Georgia to stop a
conflict with Native Americans. Instead, Jackson invaded Florida,
a Spanish colony. Jackson took over Spanish settlements and
removed the Spanish governor from power.
Spain didn’t want to start a war with the United States.
In 1819 the two countries signed the Adams-Onís Treaty. In the
agreement, Spain sold Florida to the United States. In return, the
United States gave up its claim to Texas, west of the Sabine River.
James Monroe
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Go to the Foldables®
library in the back of
your book to make a
Foldable® that will help
you take notes while
reading this chapter.
The War of 1812 made people in the United States feel like they
were as powerful as Great Britain, Spain, and France. This feeling
was challenged by issues in Latin America. Many of the former
European colonies there had recently declared independence.
In response, some European countries formed an alliance and
planned to regain control of the area.
President James Monroe did not want European powers so
close to the United States. In 1823 he issued the Monroe Doctrine.
It stated that the United States would not allow European powers
to start new colonies in the Americas. In return, the United States
would not involve itself in issues that related to existing European
colonies or issues in Europe.
The doctrine’s authors saw it as a way for the United States to
oppose colonial powers. Americans would later use it to expand
the borders of the United States even farther.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (LC-USZC4-12215)
Dealing with Foreign Countries
! READING PROGRESS CHECK
Which treaty ended the War of 1812?
LESSON 2 REVIEW
Reviewing Vocabulary
1. Explain how impressment and tariffs strained the
U.S. relationship with Great Britain.
Reading Skills
2. Determining Cause and Effect What was the
Embargo Act of 1807 and how did it weaken the
American economy?
192
3. Analyzing How did the War of 1812 increase
national pride and change the view of the
United States in the eyes of the world?
Writing Skills
4. EXPOSITORY WRITING Recite the words from
The Star Spangled Banner. Then choose one
line from the song and explain what you think
it means.
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