JAMES MADISON AND THE WAR OF 1812

JAMES MADISON AND
THE WAR OF 1812
Or is it the Second American Revolution?
James Madison
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From Virginia
Author of the Constitution
Advocate for the Bill of
Rights
Leader in the House of
Representatives
Secretary of State
5’4” tall
100 pounds
Qualified to be President?
James Madison Wins
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DemocraticRepublicans
 Madison
 122
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Electoral Votes
Federalists
 Charles
 47
Pinckney
Electoral Votes
Madison’s Policies
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Napoleon claimed to respect U.S. Neutrality (He
lied)
British repealed Orders-in-Council (restrictions on
trade)
Non-intercourse Act
 U.S.
trade with all nations but France and Britain
 Allowed trade if both respected neutrality
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Macon’s Bill #2
 Reopened
trade with Britain and France in 1810
 New sanctions if either interfered with trade
Madison’s Policies
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Neither France nor Britain seemed to respect either act
What should Madison do if other countries aren’t
respecting American right to commerce and trade?
Frontier Issues

Expansionists and War Hawks
 Canada
 Florida
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Indian Problems in the NW and SW
 Chief
Tecumseh (Shawnee)
 Prophet Tenskwatawa (Tecumseh’s brother)
 Republicans accused British of arming Indians
against Americans
Tecumseh, Shawnee Chief
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Revived old Indian
confederacy in Ohio Valley
Goal: keep whites out
Created strong culture
Focused on Indian pride
William Henry Harrison
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Governor of Indiana
Territory
Led forces against Tecumseh
Battle of Tippecanoe
 Defeated
Shawnee
 Killed Tecumseh
 The curse?
Tenskwatawa, “The Prophet” Zero
Factor?
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Following loss he supposedly put a curse
that white leaders would die every 20
years
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1840 – William Henry Harrison; died in
office
1860 – Abraham Lincoln; killed in office
1880 – James Garfield; killed in office
1900 – William McKinley; killed in office
1920 – Warren G. Harding; died in office
1940 – Franklin D. Roosevelt; died in office
1960 – John F. Kennedy; killed in office
1980 – Ronald Reagan; shot in office
(survived)
THE BRITISH AND FRENCH ARE
BOTHERING YOU AT SEA . . .
THE BRITISH ARE AIDING INDIAN
TRIBES IN THE WEST . . .
WHAT SHOULD MADISON DO?
War Hawks
John C. Calhoun (South Carolina)
Henry Clay (Kentucky)
These two Representatives are pressing for war!
Madison’s Rationale for War
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Economic strategies (NonIntercourse Act, Macon’s Bill)
not working
Madison told British to respect
territory in west
British didn’t respond
Declaration of War
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Madison asks for declaration of
war
Split on regional and party lines
 Federalists/Northeast
anti-war
 Democratic-Republicans/South
and West pro-war
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Senate vote
 19-13
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in favor
House vote
 79-49
in favor
Official Reasons for War
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Violation of neutrality
Seizure of America ships
Impressment of American
sailors
Lack of respect for western
territory
Valid reasons to go to war?
Meanwhile . . .
James Madison Wins Again
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DemocraticRepublicans
 Madison
 128
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Electoral Votes
Federalists
 De
Witt Clinton
 89
Electoral Votes
The War of 1812
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Early American Successes
 Invasion of Canada
 Burned capital city, York
(Toronto)
 Harrison attacked and
captured Detroit
 Oliver Hazard Perry
defeated British on Lake Erie
Had to withdraw due to lack of
support (troops and materials)
from the New England states
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Later British Successes
 Strong navy threatened
American ports
 British force landed on
Chesapeake Bay
 Burned Washington D.C.
 Attempted to capture
Baltimore
 Fort McHenry – Francis
Scott Key – Star Spangled
Banner
Sack of Washington
Not So White House
“Dolley” Payne Madison
Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key
The War of 1812
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Key Battle – Lake Champlain
American victory
Prevented British invasion of
Hudson River Valley and New
York City
Forced British return to Canada
Commander Thomas McDonough
Military
Theaters
of
Operation
Secession?
Hartford Convention
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Reaction to Virginia Dynasty & “Mr. Madison’s War”
Abolish 3/5s clause determining House of Reps
2/3rds vote to declare war or admit new states
No embargoes more than 60 days
No foreign-born to hold federal offices
1 term presidents
No successive presidents from same state
Discredited
Treaty of Ghent 12-24-14
Treaty of Ghent 12-24-14
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American negotiators
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John Quincy Adams
Albert Gallatin
Henry Clay
Treaty of Ghent 12-24-14
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Results
No change of borders
Future negotiations for unresolved
disputes
Did the War of 1812
accomplish anything?
Wait . . . The war’s not over yet!
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Battle of New Orleans
Why is New Orleans
significant?
Key Players
 United
States –
Andrew Jackson
 Britain – General
Edward Packenham
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American forces
consisted of
 Americans
 Indians
 Spanish
 French
 Slaves
 Free
Blacks
Wait . . . The war’s not over yet!
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January 8, 1815
British forces attack
Americans slaughter
British
Battle over in less than
an hour
13 Americans killed
291 British (including
Packenham) killed
Andrew Jackson
the Hero of New Orleans
Impact of the War of 1812
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Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison are
national heroes for
Role in war
 Elimination of native tribes
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Harrison in NW
 Jackson in SW
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Federalist party is dead
 Democrat-Republicans have all the power
 We enter the “Era of Good Feelings”
 James Monroe (Virginia Dynasty) will become a two-term
president
 Ends any British thought of recapturing lost colonies
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