Leading to War

What makes you so angry you would want to hurt someone?

War Fever• Madison became president

mired in embargo crisis, Eng. Continued to stop American ships and impress sailors

• 1810 Congress passed a law opening trade w/ Eng. or France who ever accepted 1st, Napoleon accepted but continued to seize American ships, selling them and pocketing profits, America divided, verge of war, who should enemy be, Eng. Seen as bigger threat

Tecumseh• Problems arose in the West, OH became a state in

1803, between 1801 and 1810 settler pressed into OH river valley, Indians gave up millions of acres, now settlers moving into land guaranteed by treaty

• Native Americans renewed contact w/ Brits and fur traders in Canada

• Some chose a new strategy, Shawnee Chief Tecumseh built a confederacy of tribes in NW territory, believe a strong alliance of tribes and backing from Brits and Canada would halt movement onto Indian land

• Tecumseh a powerful speaker, w/ great political skill, treaties w/ each tribe worthless, claimed land God given, Tecumseh’s bro called the prophet, urged Indians to return to ways of their ancestors, give up wearing western dress, using plows and firearms and stop drinking alcohol, Prophet had a huge following, established Prophetstown on Tippecanoe river

Tippecanoe• Gov. of IN territory, William Henry

Harrison, alarmed at Tecumseh and Prophets power, feared alliance w/ Brits, Threatened Tecumseh, and his bro, Tecumseh responded with stating the facts

• 1811 Tecumseh in Sth trying to secure his confederacy with Cherokee in GA, Harrison attacked Prophetstown, 2 hr battle Prophet and followers fled, Battle of Tippecanoe famous, Harrison used in politics became known as Tippecanoe, used to run for President

• Tecumseh joined forces w/ Brits, Settlers claimed Brits supplied confederacy w/ guns, resulting in a cry to attack Canada

War Hawks• Pres. Madison faced more demand for

war w/ Brits, most insistent were young Rep. elected in 1810, called the War Hawks, came from Sth and Wst

• War Hawks wanted to avenge Brit attacks, and expand nation’s power, nationalism renewed sense of Patriotism

• Leader of War Hawks was Henry Clay of KY and John C. Calhoun of SC, wanting land pushed war fever, wanted to move north into forests of Canada, beating Eng. Might make Canada available, Sth wanted Spanish FL

• War Hawks urged military spending, army 4X’s, Federalist opposed war closest to population centers of Canada

• Spring 1812 Madison concluded war w/ Eng. Inevitable, In June asked Congress to declare war, same time Eng. Ended their search and seizure of American Ships, word arrived too late war machine gearing up