DR_War of 1812 Flashcards
DOC REPORT WAR OF 1812
June 1812, the U.S. Declares war on Great Britian [GB]. War lasted 205 years.
The British stole 6,000 American sailors from U.S. ships and drafted them into the Royal Navy. William Henry Harrison, Governor of Indiania, was busy aquiring land from the native Americans. He made treaties and took possession of over 100 million acres of land.
Indian Tecumseh, [Shawnee leader] was 42, but refused to give land to Harrison. In 1811 Tecumseh signed up many small indian tribes to join his fight against the U.S. for their local lands. He developed a united front.
Battle of Tippecanoe river, Indians attack Harrison’s troops in a surprise attack.
James Madison, President pushed the declaration of war through congress. Not all Americans agreed and mobs were formed to beat up some American warmongers. Many were beaten to death and one person was tarred and feathered then set on fire!
Madison decided to attack Canada first. It was horrible logistics. There were no roads and most towns were completely out of touch with what was going on.
Communication was non-existant between armies. General Issac Brock, the general in defense of Canada was challenged to a dual with a professional dualist. General Brock accepted the dual only if it was a handkerchief dual. [Means they fired at each other at the distance of a spread handkerchief]. The professional dualist then withdrew from the duel.
Communication between U.S. Armies was so bad that two of the armies fired upon each other! Americans were killing other Americans. This happened multiple times.
First year of War of 1812 was a horrible failure for America. All three invasions of Canada failed miserably!
Year 2: War at sea.
Great Britian had over 100 ships in commission. The most powerful Navy in the World. GB had over 200 Frigates. America had 8 Frigates and NO COMMISSIONED SHIPS!
August 19, 1812. The American Frigate, “Constitution”. The Constitution had an extra thick hull. It even had 12 cannon balls from the British embedded in it, thus it became known as “Old Ironsides”
Then the Americans commissioned hundreds of private ships as privateers. This gave American victories at sea and built morale.
Many of the Navel battles were fought on the great lakes.
1813, American troops burn village of York, which later became Toronto.
December 10, 1813 Americans set fire to Newark, which escalate British retaliation. Many towns are burned. The fleeing residents are stabbed, shot down and scalped! [These are British troops doing the burning.]
Summer 1814. American Capital burns.
60,000 British troops were freed up because Napoleon was captured in Europe. Now these 60,000 troops could join the battle against America.
4,000 slaves set free by British. Slaves join the British Army to fight against the Americans.
When the British marched and attacked Washington, and all the Militias turned and ran, American discovered it needs a professional Army/Navy to protect the homeland.
August 24, 1814. British take white house. They piled up all the furniture in a room and set the White house on fire!
Autum 1814. America is almost bankrupt. New England is thinking about secession from the union. Mainly Connecticut.
September 1814. British attack Fort McHenry to burn Baltimore’s ship building abilities. 116 years later the “Star Spangled Banner” becomes our National Anthem.
GB wanted a new Indian state between the U.S. and Canada to act as a buffer state. This failed in the treaty negotiations.
Winter 1814. Battle of New Orleans.
Lopsided battle because of Andrew Jackson putting all the cannons on the waterfront and blasted over 2,000 British soldiers to pieces.
America only lost 70 soldiers. All this happened in 25 minutes!
Slow news. It took nearly a month for the news of the New Orleans battle to reach Washington where the paper told the story of the battle of New Orleans.
Nine more days after that a ship from GB reaches our East Coast and says the treaty was signed in England and the war was over about a month ago! [The war was over before the Battle of New Orleans was even fought!
Treaty of Ghent ends the war in a stalemate!
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