History 2301E Lecture Notes - Lecture 7: Barbary Pirates, Creek War, Great Lakes
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
October 5th, 2017
Madison and the War of 1812
America:
Got into a place of good stability
Achieved the constitution
Compromises
War begins during Jefferson’s presidency
➢ War in Europe and US Neutrality
➢ The American Response
o The 1808 Election of James Madison
➢ Going to war
o Tecumseh
➢ The War of 1812
o Andrew Jackson and the Creek Wars, 1813
o The Battle for New Orleans, January 1815
o The Treaty of Ghent, December 1814
➢ Aftermath
What put them on a collision course to war: all together put a tension on Madison
1. Blockades
2. Impressments
3. Natives (Tecumseh)
4. Canada
War in Europe and US Neutrality
- War in Europe, 1793
o Weened and ended for around 10-12 years
▪ US impact: issue of blockades
o Napoleon (France) and Western Europe
▪ Continental control
• French army set up a blockade on the Atlantic part of the continent
o Difficulty for American goods to get into Europe
o Britain
▪ Naval control
• Also has blockades
• = More problems for American trade
- US neutrality
(Issues for why Neutrality is essential)
o Washington policy for the US to remain neutral and Jefferson continues as part of the deal
A. Readiness
▪ America not ready militarily or economically
▪ Different than the barbary pirates, not strong enough to take on either superpower
B. Benefits
▪ If you are neutral, can trade with all sides
▪ There is money to be made in this policy of neutrality
▪ Blockades start to be an issue for American trade ships and vessels
C. Which side
▪ What side does America join?
▪ Federalists are pro-England
▪ Anti-federalists pro-France
▪ Confusion would have created an internal issue
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Impact on the US
1. British blockades
- British naval blockades had the biggest impact on the US
- Britain taking American goods with compensations
- Hurting the US economically
- British not respecting Americans sovereignty, their political right to be neutral
2. Impressments
- British Sailors and Naval conditions
o Came on board American vessels looking for sailors
▪ Want to take back their British sailors
▪ British sailors deserting in the middle of a war
▪ A lot ended up on American merchant ships and trading vessels
o British navy, early 1800, horrible place to be a sailor
▪ Nonexistent pay
▪ Appalling punishments
▪ Lack of fresh food
- Press gangs
o British sailors
▪ “pressed” back into service for the British
o American sailors
▪ If they couldn’t find British sailors, out of frustration, would take American ones
and press them into service in the British navy
▪ Britain began kidnapping American sailors and America citizens
▪ Taking sovereign citizens taken off sovereign vessels
• This is not ok for the US
US Response
The Embargo Act, 1807
- Jefferson’s motives
o Purpose: an attempt to buy time
o doing something so that they do not go to war
- Congressional act
o Stopped all American exports period
o Denied the US to export any single good to any single country
▪ Believed that the British needed American lumber and cotton
o Cohesion would stop the impressions and press gangs
- Impact
o No impact on Britain whatsoever
▪ Have many other colonies
▪ Canada: lumber
▪ India: cotton
o American economy tanked
▪ 90% economy still based on exporting raw materials
The 1808 Election of James Madison
- James Madison’s election
o A federalist
o Knew how devastating the embargo act was
- Congress, March 1809
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
The american response: the 1808 election of james madison. The war of 1812: andrew jackson and the creek wars, 1813, the battle for new orleans, january 1815, the treaty of ghent, december 1814. What put them on a collision course to war: all together put a tension on madison: blockades, impressments, natives (tecumseh, canada. British naval blockades had the biggest impact on the us. British not respecting americans sovereignty, their political right to be neutral: impressments. Press gangs: british sailors, american sailors. Jefferson"s motives: purpose: an attempt to buy time, doing something so that they do not go to war. Congressional act: stopped all american exports period, denied the us to export any single good to any single country, believed that the british needed american lumber and cotton, cohesion would stop the impressions and press gangs. Impact: no impact on britain whatsoever, have many other colonies, canada: lumber.
