The War of 1812

The War of 18 12. . War with Great Britain Most Americans were fed up with Great Britain. Between 1808 and 1811, the British navy captured 6,000 American sailors and forced them to serve in the Royal Navy. The British also encouraged the Indian nations to take up arms against the U.S. , In 1811, a group of new congressmen led by Felix Grundy of Tennessee demanded war. The "War Hawks,” as they were called, believed this aggression would force the British to alter their foreign policy. Bowing to pressure, President James Madison called for a declaration of war June 1, 1812. After heated debate, both houses of Congress passed the measure, which Madison signed on June 18. , Battles on Land... Between June 1812 and February 1815, the U.S. Army and state militias fought the British and their Indian allies on the Canadian border, in the Old Northwest, Old Southwest and Spanish Florida. , ... and on Water The infant U.S. Navy battled the Royal Navy on the Great Lakes, Lake Champlain, the Atlantic and Pacific. In January 1815, Andrew Jackson's decisive victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans boosted the nation's morale. , A New American Identity , The war ended when the U.S. Senate ratified the Treaty of Ghent (Belgium) on February 8, 1815. After the War of 18 12, foreign governments began to see the United States as a legitimate power, unified and capable of defending its territory. What many called the "second War of Independence” also forged a new national identity. People became more confident in the nation's future. They began to realize that whatever their differences, what united them was more important--they were Americans. , The Star Spangled Banner , The sight of a large American flag fying triumphantly over Fort McHenry inspired Francis Scott Key to write what became the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner. Key witnessed the September 14, 1814, Battle of Baltimore from aboard a ship, where he was being temporarily held. Later set to a popular tune, Key's poem became the national anthem of the United States in 1931.