Chapter 8, Section 3

The Coming of War

Violations of Neutrality

Trading overseas was profitable but very risky for American merchants Ships had to travel vast distances often through

violent storms Risk of capture by pirates from the Barbary States of

North Africa in the Mediterranean

USS Constitution Large United States warship sent to end Barbary

Pirate attacks

Violations of Neutrality

France and Great Britain go to war in 1803Each side wants to stop the United States

from supplying the enemy with goodsEach government designed laws to prevent

American merchants from trading with the other

British and French navies captured American merchant ships searching for war supplies

Violations of Neutrality Great Britain began searching American ships

for British sailors who had run away from the British navy Sometimes American sailors were captured by

mistake and forced to fight in the British navy Impressment

Attack on the Chesapeake British ship Leopard stopped the United States ship

Chesapeake and tried to remove sailors The American captain of the Chesapeake refused British took the sailors by force

The Embargo Act

Americans were unsure of how to react to Great Britain’s violation of United States’s neutrality Some called for war while others favored an embargo

Banning of trade

Embargo Act Banned all trade with other countries American ships could not sail to foreign ports American ports were closed to British ships

The Embargo Act

The effect of the law was devastating to American merchants Northern states hit especially hard

The embargo damaged President Thomas Jefferson’s popularity Strengthened the Federalist party Angry merchants petitioned Jefferson to repeal the

embargo The Embargo had very little effect on Great

Britain or France

Non-Intercourse Act

Banned trade only with Britain, France, and their colonies

Stated that America would resume trading with the first side that stopping violating US Neutrality

No more successful than the embargo act

Conflict in the West

Disagreements between Great Britain and the United States went beyond the shenanigans on the high seas

On the western frontier, British and Native Americans clashed with American settlers over land

The Conflict Over Land

In the early 1800’s, Native Americans in the old Northwest territory continued to lost their land as thousands of settlers poured into the region United States gained this land in the Treaty of Greenville, but

Native American leaders who did not agree to the treaty protested the settler’s arrival

Frustrated Native American groups considered what to do next

Britain saw an opportunity to slow American westward expansion British agents supplied Native Americans with arms

Tecumseh Resists U.S. Settlers

TecumsehShawnee ChiefBrilliant SpeakerWarned other Native Americans about the

dangers of settlersPromoted unification of Native American

peoples to resist settlers

The Battle of Tippecanoe

William Henry Harrison Governor of Indiana Territory Alarmed with Tecumseh’s activities Was convinced that Tecumseh had British backing

William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh met face to face in 1810 Harrison insisted that Tecumseh follow the Treaty of Greenville Tecumseh argued that the white settlers had no rights to Native

American lands Harrison warned Tecumseh not to resist the power of the United

States

The Battle of Tippecanoe Tecumseh journeyed south seeking the support

of the Creek nation During his absence, William Henry Harrison attacked

Battle of Tippecanoe Native Americans launched an attack on Harrison’s

camp on November 7, 1811 After an all day battle, Harrison’s soldiers forced the

Native Americans to retreat and then destroyed Tecumseh’s village

The Native American defeat destroyed Tecumseh’s dream of a great Native American confederation

Tecumseh fled to Canada

Tecumseh’s Curse

Legend has it that after his defeat at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, Tecumseh placed a curse on the United States that every president elected in a year ending in “0” would perish in office

This curse came true when William Henry Harrison died in office in 1841 (elected in 1840) of pneumonia (also the nation’s shortest presidency)

From this point forward, every president elected in a year ending in “0”died in office, terminating with Ronald Regan (elected in 1980), who survived an assassination attempt

Call For War

Evidence of British support to Native Americans angered Americans

Many felt that Great Britain encouraged Tecumseh’s actions in the west

The War Hawks War Hawks

Young members of Congress who took the lead in calling for war against Britain

Given the nickname by their political opponents Many from the South and the West

Henry Clay (of Kentucky) John C. Calhoun (of South Carolina) Felix Grundy (of Tennessee)

Calls for war increased Leaders wanted to put a stop to British influence

among Native Americans Wanted to invade Canada and obtain more land for

settlement Others angered by British trade restrictions

The Opposition

New England Federalists were the strongest opponents to the war Business people and merchants there wanted to

renew friendly business ties with Great Britain for economic purposes

Others argued that a war against Great Britain would be foolish United States not yet ready Small army and navy Inability to mass produce military supplies

Declaring War

James Madison (father of the Bill of Rights) was elected President in 1808 In 1812, he decided that Congress must vote

on the war War Hawks won in Congress

War was declared against Great Britain (and for the first time ever in the nation)

War of 1812