Danica Schroeder, Taylor Houts, Jessica Paschal, Angelica Rinebarger

Name: ___________ANSWER KEY___________ Date: _________

The War of 1812

MULTIPLE CHOICE:

Directions: Circle the best answer.

1. The War of 1812 was caused by all of the following EXCEPT:

a. British attempts to restrict U.S. trade

b. Religious conflicts

c. The Royal Navy’s impressment of American seamen

d. America’s desire to expand its territory

2. Who did the U.S. sign a declaration of war against on June 18th, 1812?

a. Britain

b. Spain

c. China

d. France

3. Who led U.S. troops to victory in the Battle of Tippecanoe?

a. Andrew Jackson

b. William Henry Harrison

c. Winfield Scott

d. Sir Isaac Brock

4. The War of 1812 was fought between:

a. Great Britain and Portugal

b. Spain, France, and China

c. Native Americans, United States, Spain, and France

d. Native Americans and Canada

5. Which treaty ended the War of 1812?

a. Treaty of St. Louise

b. Treaty of Bucharest

c. Treaty of Madrid

d. Treaty of Ghent

TRUE OR FALSE:

Directions: Write T if the statement is true or write F if the statement is false.

__F__ The War of 1812 ended in 1814.

__T__ The first major naval battle of the war was fought on Lake Eerie.

__T__ Francis Scott Key wrote the national anthem.

__F__ Tecumseh helped the Canadians during the War of 1812.

__F__ The final battle of the War of 1812 was fought in New Jersey.

SHORT ANSWER: Directions: Respond to the following questions.

1. Who were the War Hawks and why were they so pro-war? The War Hawks were a contingent of young congressmen, mostly representing the South and the

Western frontier (then places like Kentucky and Ohio). The War Hawks were too young to have

fought in the Revolutionary War, and, tired of their father's stories of war, wanted their own war

against the British. Claiming that they opposed Impressment and trade restrictions, the War

Hawks probably used these as excuses to go to war for more "adventurous" reasons.

2. Why did the U.S. lose so many battles at the beginning of the War of 1812?

The US army then consisted primarily of untrained amateurs and militiamen. In the invasion of

Canada, American commanders foolishly split their forces into three branches, rather than

concentrating an attack on Montreal. Further, the nation was not unanimously behind the war:

New England was especially opposed to it. Finally, the outstanding and meticulous leadership of

Britain's Isaac Brock gave the British many early victories despite being outnumbered in the war

on the US-Canada front.

3. What happened to the Capitol and the White House in 1814?

After Bladensburg, Washington had to be evacuated. Some American advisors suggested blowing

up the American Capitol and White House, so the British wouldn't get access to government

documents. Madison, however, believed that the symbolic value of Britain burning the Capitol

and White House would further outrage and unify the nation against Britain. Sure enough,

General Robert Ross played into Madison's hands by torching the government buildings.

4. Why did the Hartford Convention end the Federalist Party?

The Hartford Convention met secretly in late 1814 to discuss New England's grievances regarding

the war. Although the formal demands of the convention were moderate, it was widely known that

some members of the convention advocated secession. Thus, the Hartford Convention, in which

the Federalists foolishly came up with complaints against the war just weeks before the war was

over, so badly tinged the Federalists with suspicion of treason that they never recovered. After

losing the next Presidential election, the Federalists dissolved.

5. Why was the Battle of New Orleans unnecessary?

The War of 1812 was already officially over when the battle was fought. The Treaty of Ghent had

been signed weeks before, but news traveled slowly across the Atlantic in those days. In fact, even

the city of Washington learned of Jackson's victory before it heard about the treaty. Many

Americans therefore mistakenly believed that Jackson's victory had forced the treaty.

MATCHING:

Directions: Match the following by drawing a line.

The War of 1812

Required neutral countries to obtain a license from its authorities before

trading with France or French colonies.

Impressment The day the President signed a declaration of war against Britain.

June 18, 1812 Is also called the “Second War of Independence”

Orders in Council

The day of the ratification of the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War.

February 17, 1815 The act of seizing shipmen for public use or impressing into public service.

ESSAY:

Directions: Respond to the following questions.

1. Describe three ways the War of 1812 affected the American people.

Answers will vary – graded holistically.

2. One of the issues that led to America declaring war on Great Britain in

1812 was the impressment of American sailors into the British Royal Navy.

This means that if you were working on a cargo ship transporting goods to

Europe, a British military ship could capture you and force you to fight as

a part of their Navy. Pretend that this has happened to you and write about

how you would feel and what you would do.

Answers will vary – graded holistically.

INTERPRETIVE EXERCISES:

Directions: Circle the best answer.

Image A Image B Image C

1. The War of 1812 marked the demise of the Federalist Party. Which image

is the symbol of the Federalist Party?

a. Image A

b. Image B

c. Image C

2. Who is the man in the image above?

a. George Washington

b. Tom Brady

c. Andrew Jackson