Transcript War of 1812 Causes - Foreign Domestic Problems Notes Slides

Foreign and Domestic
Problems
From Jefferson to Madison –
Causes of the War of 1812
African Pirates
• American merchant ships attacked
off the coast of North Africa
• Jefferson passed a law requiring all
ships to be escorted through the
Mediterranean Sea by the American
Navy
• Americans advised to keep
friendships with nations but avoid
their entanglements foreign nations
▫ Who first had this idea?
• Difficult for Americans to stay out of
foreign affairs when involved so
heavily with overseas trade
Fighting with Britain and France
• Britain & France still at war in 1804
• American ships had neutral
rights & traded with both
▫ Both countries attacked our
ships
▫ France seized & searched ships
trading with Britain
▫ Britain blocked French coasts
• Britain impressed
(kidnapped) American sailors
to work on British ships
HMS Leopard, attacked the Chesapeake
▫ British attacked an American
ship, Chesapeake, in 1807
• Many demanded war
Impacting Trade
• Jefferson did not push for war
▫ “Peaceable coercion” was his
terminology
• Congress passed the Embargo
Act
▫ American ships not allowed to
trade to European nations
• The act was a disaster
▫ American farmers and
merchants lost important
markets for their products
▫ Many lost income
▫ Many violated the embargo
• Congress eventually repealed it
War Fever
• President Madison saw Britain as
the greater threat
▫ Interfered with shipping, impressed
sailors, and resisted in the west
• 1801-1810 : white settlers
attacked American Indian lands
in the west
▫ Natives renewed trading
relationships with British in
Canada
• 1811 – General William Henry
Harrison attacked American Indians
@ Prophetstown & proclaim a victory
in the Battle of Tippecanoe
• Tecumseh (Indian leader) joined
forces with the British
Declaration of War
• War Hawks pushed for a
declaration of war with Great
Britain
▫ Led by Henry Clay of Kentucky
and John C. Calhoun of S.
Carolina
▫ Their nationalism led to a new
patriotism not seen since the
Revolution
• Many wanted British aid to Natives
to be stopped
▫ Others wanted war because of what
happened at sea
• June 1, 1812 – President James
Madison asked Congress for
declaration of war
▫ Congress agreed
▫ First time we declared war on a
foreign nation
Important Dates
British-French Wars
1793-1801
British-French Truce
1801-1803
Napoleonic War
1803-1814
Embargo Act
War of 1812
Year
Export Value
1807-1809
1794
$ 33 million
1812-1814
1801
$ 94 million
Naval Forces of the War of 1812 1803
Vessel
# of American British
1807
$ 54 million
Type
Guns
Navy
Navy
Ship of
the Line
64-120
0
124
Frigate
26-50
8
116
Smaller
Vessels
< 24
8
> 360
$ 108 million
1809
$ 22 million
1812
$ 61 million
1814
$ 7 million
Presidential
Candidate
Party
Home
State
Popular Vote
Count
%
Electoral
Vote
James
Madison
(Incumbent)
DemocraticRepublican
Virginia
140,431
50.4%
128
DeWitt
Clinton
DemocraticRepublican
New York
132,781
47.6%
89
Rufus King
Federalist
New York
5,574
2.0%
0
278,786
100.0%
217
Total
Needed to win
109
War between Britain and
France…Britain blocked
our coast and stops our
foreign trade
When attacking American
ships, the British
kidnaped sailors –
“impressment”
British aided Natives
against Americans
Madison asked
Congress to declare
war against Great Britain
– War of 1812