War of 1812

The War of 1812 is considered the forgotten war, not even worthy of being named. Many historians view the War of 1812 as the United States' second war for independence from the United Kingdom. The conflict involved not only the United States and the United Kingdom, but also the Native Americans. The American people went into this war in order to protect their economic interests that were declining due to trade embargos, British impressment, and the developing issues of land rights with Natives Americans that was instigated by the British. Another reason for the War of 1812 was patriotic indignation the American people habored because of the European Powers' impressment of Americans at sea.

5000 American Seamen detained on board British vessels!

News article notification, published in Boston, Massachusetts. Offers a detailed account of the effects of rising conflicts between Britian, France, and the US during the Napoleanic War and the period of British impressment of US seamen from 1802 until 1811. Provides statistics on the amunt of citizens being detained by both foriegn parties and the effects on US commerce, with interruptions on trade.

The United States decided to remain neutral with regards to their trade efforts, while Britain and France fought one another in The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Britain decided to ignore policies the United States enacted and continued to seize ships, such as the U.S. warship Chesapeake. In response, Congress and President Thomas Jefferson quickly passed The Embargo Act of 1807, which stopped exporting in the U.S. and foreign countries and enacted restrictions on British imports, in an attempt to starve other countries into recognizing the United States as a world power.

Circular letter on congressional proceedings preceding the War of 1812

A letter from James Breckenridge, dated Feburary 27th, 1811 in Washington City, describing the grievances that caused the US to declare war on Britian. Most of these reasons eiterate accounts of British navy men sabotaging US commerce.

In 1811, Henry Clay the republican from Kentucky Articulates U.S. Grievances Against Britain in Congress, which laid out all the issues The United States were having with Britain at the time. The British were interfering with the United States revenue stream, by intervening in their trade. Their main tactics incvolved seizing United States merchant ships and taking American citizens and enlisting them in the British Navy. The United States also claims that the British were provoking Native Americans in the northwest territories.

War Club with Ball Head

A wooden ball head war club made approximately 1812. Assumed to be used by a Native American soldier in combat during the War of 1812.

Various Native American tribes, specifically the Shawnee tribe, engaged in the War of 1812 because American frontiersmen were buying land from other Native American tribes for US expansion westward. This invlvement was to derail the US from encroaching onto Natives' lands. The Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811 was lead by Major General William Henry Harrison against the Shawnee tribe along the Tippecanoe river the plan was to destroy the intertribal defense alliance, although both sides had massive losses the Americans prevailed.

Battle of Queenston Heights

Battle of Queenston Heights took place on October 13th, 1812 and was a victory for the British. American troops had tried to cross the Niagra river to gain a foothold in Canada.

War of 1812 Battle Scene

A sketch and watercolor entitled the War of 1812 Battle Sceneby Felix Octavius Carr Darley. The sketch depicts Native Americans and White frontiersmen during the War of 1812.

However, The Creek War of 1813 and 1814 was the major loss of the Southeast for the Shawnee tribe and the Creek Indians that comprised most of Alabama and Georgia. The Creek Indian expected help from the British - that did not come - in fighting off the American Frontiersmen. A group of Shawnee and Creek Indian began pillaging white settlements. Which lead to General Andrew Jackson becoming  a major contributor in wiping out the Native Americans and  Treaty of Fort Jackson which forced the Creek Indians to cede 23 million acres of land.

Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent marks the end of the War of 1812. It was signed December 24th, 1814 in Belgium by delegates from the United States and United Kingdom.

The Treaty of Ghent was a peace agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom, which ended the War of 1812. The treaty reinstating pre war conditions which meant all conquered land by either party was relinquished. However, the war officially ended in 1815 because it took a while for word to spread of the Treaty. Even though the War of 1812 is considered a forgotten war, the Treaty of Ghent is a first foray in foreign policy and can be considered the first document that gave the United States clout in regards to becoming the world power it is today.

The main reason for the War of 1812 was economic perservation and gain the underlying reason was for the United States to prove their independence and reaffirm their nationial exceptionalism. The economic perservation was seen in the grievances that were posted by individual states as well as members of the House of Representatives, that depicted the rising issues of the British capturing US seaman and forcing them into the British navy. The United States exceptionalistic views were reaffirm after the Treaty of Ghent was signed, alotting them to keep land they obtained and showed the rest of the world that the United States is a strong and resourceful nation.

Answer to the governor's speech: Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Massachusetts' governor's response to the negative effects of the Embargo Act on US commerce, dated June 9th, 1808