War of 1812
5th grade
Major Events Leading to The War of 1812
• US shipping was being affected by Britain and
cargo was seized.
• Embargo Act of 1807 stopped all trade with
Europe. Embargo is a government ban on trade
with other countries.
The War of 1812
• June 1812, President James Madison asked Congress to declare war on
Britain. At the time, Britain had the strongest navy in the world. Britain
used the strong navy to blockade American ports.
• September 1813, Captain Oliver Hazard Perry won the Battle of Lake Erie
which helped the Untied States keep control of the western lands.
• August 1814, the British attacked Washington, D.C., First Lady Dolley
Madison saved many important government papers as she escaped. The
British burned much of the city.
• Next, the British attacked Baltimore, Maryland. After being
attacked for several hours, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem
called “The Star-Spangled Banner” when he could still see the flag
flying. The poem was later set to music to be the national
anthem.
• In New Orleans, Louisiana, General Andrew Jackson led
Americans to another victory.
• Treaty of Ghent was negotiated in Europe and
signed on December 24, 1814 ending the War of
1812. The War ended in a stalemate, where no
party gained or lost any territory.
After the War of 1812
• Many Americans felt a sense of nationalism, or pride in one’s
country.
• In 1823, President James Monroe announced a plan now know as
the Monroe Doctrine. Its meant the United States would try to
stop European nations from starting new colonies in the Western
Hemisphere.