The Jefferson Era

The Coming of War

Chapter 8, Section 3Pages 278 - 283

Building Background

The United States tried to stay neutral in the conflicts between France and Great Britain, but it was impossible to avoid getting involved.

French and British ships interfered with American trade across the Atlantic.

The British also caused trouble along the western frontier.

Many Americans began to want to wage war with Great Britain.

Violations of Neutrality

While overseas trade was profitable for American merchants, it was also risky.

Ships had to travel great distances, often sailing through violent storms.

Merchant ships sailing in the Mediterranean risked capture from pirates from the Barbary States of North America.

Attacks continued until the U.S. sent the USS Constitution and other ships to end them.

Violations of Neutrality

In 1804 the pirates seized the United States warship Philadelphia and towed it into Tripoli Harbor.

When a United States navy captain and his raiding party burned the ship, a British admiral called it a “bold and daring act.”

The conflict ended in June 1805 when Tripoli agreed to stop demanding tribute. However, the United States had to pay a ransom of $60,000 to release American prisoners.

Violations of Neutrality

While the Barbary pirates were a serious problem, a greater threat troubled the Americans.

Both Britain and France wanted to stop the U.S. from supplying goods to the other.

Each government passed laws designed to prevent American merchants from trading with the other.

In addition, the navies of both nations captured many American ships searching for war supplies.

Trouble on the Seas

The British needed sailors, so they kidnapped American sailors.

Their naval patrols claimed the right to stop American ships at sea. They seized sailors though to be British deserters and forced them into service.

This practice of impressment did catch some deserters, but thousands of the impressed sailors were native-born and naturalized American citizens.

Attack on the Seas

The British attacked the American ship Chesapeake in June 1807.

The British warship Leopard intercepted the Chesapeake and demanded to search the ship for British deserters.

The British opened fire when the Chesapeake’s captain refused to let the British search his ship.

American Reaction

Americans were furious at the British when they heard of the attack.

Many demanded war. However, Jefferson chose another path.

Congress passed a disastrous trade ban in December 1807 called the Embargo Act.

The Embargo Act

The intent of the Embargo Act was to hurt Britain. Instead,

the embargo banned imports from and exports to all foreign

countries.

The act was a disaster. It wiped out all American commerce with other nations.

It was also ineffective against Britain because it traded with Latin America for agricultural goods.

On March 1, 1809, Congress repealed the act and passed the Nonintercourse Act. This act prohibited trade with only Britain and France and their colonial possessions.

Conflict in the West

Disagreements between Great Britain and the U.S. went

beyond the neutrality issue.

In the early 1800s, Native Americans in the old Northwest Territory continued to lose land as thousands of settlers moved into the region.

British agents from Canada began arming Native Americans.

Rumors of British activity in the old Northwest Territory began to anger Americans.

Tecumseh Resists

Tecumseh, a Shawnee chief, watched angrily as theNative Americans were being pushed off their

lands.

He warned other Native American groups about the dangers that they faced from the settlers.

He believed that the Native Americans had to do what the white Americans had done – unite.

Tecumseh hoped to united that Native Americans of the northwestern frontier, the South, and the eastern Mississippi Valley.

Tecumseh

Tecumseh

Tecumseh met with the white people and the governor ofthe Indiana Territory, General William Henry Harrison.

Harrison warned him on the weakness of a NativeAmerican-British alliance and the power of the UnitedStates against them.

Tecumseh said that it was the Americans who were killing

the Native Americans, taking away the land and pushingthe Native Americans to do mischief, and keeping thetribes from uniting.

Battle of Tippecanoe

In 1811 William Henry Harrison attacked Tecumseh’s

brother, the Prophet, at the Battle of Tippecanoe.

The Americans proclaimed a victory, while the Prophet’s

forces fled.

Unfortunately for the Americans, Tecumseh and the British

forces united as a result of the American victory.

The War Hawks

The War Hawks, led by Henry Clay from Kentucky andJohn Calhoun from South Carolina, pushed for thepresident to declare war with Britain.

The Federalists in the Northeast remained opposed to

war.

● The War Hawks were eager to expand the nation’s power.

● By their efforts, the size of the army quadrupled through military spending.

The Opposition

The strongest opponents of the War Hawks were New

England Federalists.

British trade restrictions and impressment had hurt New

England’s economy.

People there wanted to renew friendly business ties with

Britain instead of fighting another war.

Declaring War

Republican James Madison was elected president in 1808.

He faced the difficulty of continuing an unpopular trade war begun by Jefferson.

He also felt growing pressure from the War Hawks.

By 1812 he decided that Congress must vote on war.

Madison blasted Great Britain’s conduct and asked Congress to decide just how the nation should respond.

Congress decided to declare war.