The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism, 1812–1824
1. A Scary War with Britain (pp. 233–240)
a. What do the authors say at the outset is the “supreme lesson” of the War of 1812? The leading a divided and apathetic people into war is a bad idea
b. For two years, the Americans and British fought to a standstill in Canada. What event in Europe in 1814 allowed the British to concentrate all their forces in America? Napoleons power was destroyed
c. After American naval successes on Lake Erie under Admiral Oliver H. Perry and then on Lake Champlain, a British force invaded the Chesapeake region and burned the new capital of Washington to the ground in August 1814. They then were beaten off in the battle at Fort McHenrynear Baltimore that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. Finally, the victory of Gen. Andrew Jackson, over the British at New Orleans in January 1815 gave a boost to national morale, even though, because of slow communications, it was actually fought after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, officially ending the war. Why do the authors say on p.238 that the Americans, who had wanted to conquer Canada at the outset, were relieved and even happy to settle for a virtual draw? Because despite that they hadn’t gained any land, they had managed to come to a draw with one of the most powerful superpowers of the time
d. What were the New England demands, as expressed in the 1814 Hartford Convention? When taken together with the end of the war on unexpectedly favorable terms, how did they contribute to the final demise of the Federalist Party? (1) The New England demands: Financial assistance from Washington for lost trade and proposed amendments requiring a two thirds vote in Congress before an embargo could be imposed, new states admitted, and war declared. Abolish the three-fifths cause in the constitution to limit u.s. presidents to a single term, and to prohibit the