![]() The United States had also proved that it could defend itself against the mightiest military power of the era. Finally, when war interrupted trade, the Americans were forced to make many of the goods they had previously imported. Second, the war broke the strength of Native Americans, who had sided with the British. First, the heroic exploits of men such as Andrew Jackson and Oliver Perry increased American patriotism. Still, the war had important consequences. No territory changed hands, and trade disputes were left unresolved. The treaty showed that the war had no clear winner. ![]() It had been signed two weeks earlier, on December 24, 1814. Slow mails from Europe had delayed news of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812. Though the Battle of New Orleans made Jackson a hero, it was unnecessary. American casualties totaled 71, compared to Britain’s 2,000. Protected by earthworks, American riflemen mowed down the advancing redcoats. The British attacked Jackson’s forces on January 8, 1815. To fight them, the Americans patched together an army under the command of General Andrew Jackson. In December 1814, dozens of ships carrying 7,500 British troops approached Louisiana. Meanwhile, in the south, the British moved against the strategic port of New Orleans. He expressed his pride in what became the U.S. At dawn, Key discovered that the flag was still flying. The commander of Fort McHenry had earlier requested a flag “so large that the British will have no difficulty in seeing it.” Detained on a British ship, a Washington lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched the all-night battle. The British then attacked Fort McHenry at Baltimore. and burned the Capitol building and the president’s mansion in August. ![]() British forces focused their attack on Washington D.C. These victories on the high seas boosted American confidence.Īfter defeating Napoleon in April 1814, Britain turned its full attention to the United States. Early in the war, before the British blockaded the coast, ships such as the Constitution and the United States won stirring victories. American naval officers had gained valuable experience fighting pirates in the Mediterranean Sea. In spite of its small size, the United States Navy rose to the challenge. These men were poorly trained and equipped, and were often led by inexperienced officers. ![]() When the war began, the Navy had only about 16 ships. Democratic-Republicans had reduced the size of the armed forces. The United States military was weak when the war was declared. With their European war nearly at an end, the British could turn their complete attention to the United States. The second phase of the war began after the British defeated France in April 1814. It devoted little energy to the conflict in North America, although it did send ships to blockade the American coast. From 1812 to 1814, Britain concentrated on its war against France. But the slow mails of the day prevented this news from reaching the United States until weeks after June 18th, when Congress approved Madison’s request for a declaration of war. To try to avoid war, the British announced that they would no longer interfere with American shipping. ![]() In fact, the British seized not only their own deserters, but also frightened a significant number of United States citizens-estimates suggest 6000 or more.īritain did not really want a war with the United States because it was already involved in another war with France. The British government claimed that it only detained subjects of the Crown who sailed under the American flag to escape wartime service in their own navy. American presidents from Washington to Madison tried to keep the United States neutral during these conflicts, but both France and Britain deliberately ignored the rights of neutral countries.įor the Americans, the greatest annoyance was Britain's practice of impressments, or the capture of American sailors for service in the British navy. France and Britain, Europe's two most powerful nations, had battles almost constantly since 1793, and their warfare directly affected American trade. ![]()
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