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The
Growth of Nationalism
Commerce and Neutral Rights
The Barbary Pirates
Great Britain and the Barbary States interfered with United States'
freedom of the seas.
Seafaring nations regularly paid the Barbary States tribute, or protection
money, to allow their ships to sail safely.
Challenges to Neutral Rights
The Chesapeake-Leopard incident was when the British on the warship
Leopard demanded the right to search for deserters aboard the American
warship Chesapeake. When the Americans refused, the Leopard opened fire.
Defending Neutral Rights
Embargo Act of 1807: The Embargo of 1807 was unsuccessful because it
hurt American trade more than it did foreign trade.
Non-Intercourse Act: This repealed the Embargo Act and allowed Americans
to trade with any country except France and Great Britain. If either
country stopped violating neutral rights, the President could open up
trade with that country again. The British and French eventually gave
in to the request.
Trouble on the Frontier
Tecumseh: The British in Canada were helping the Indians fight American
settlers in the West. Tecumseh, the chief of the Shawnee people, tried
to unite several groups of Indians in defense against the spread of white
settlers. On November 7, 1811, American forces under General William
Henry Harrison fought and defeated the Indians in western Indiana. The
Indian defeat at the Battle of Tippecanoe was a major setback for Tecumseh's
plans.
The War Hawks: These were members of Congress who favored war with Great
Britain. They wanted to expand the United States by taking Canada from
Great Britain and Florida from Spain.
Madison's War Message
The United States went to war with Great Britain in 1812.
In President Madison's message, he maintained that the British had impressed
American sailors on the high seas, had blockaded the American coast,
had interfered with trade, and had aided the Indians on the frontier.
The War of 1812
The United States on the Offensive
Attack on Canada: The U.S. planned a three-pronged attack on Canada;
however, the forced were pushed back, and the U.S. lost Detroit to the
British and Indians.
Naval Victories: The British attempted a naval blockade of the U.S.
Although the blockade was successful, the Americans were able to prevent
the British from taking over the Great Lakes area in 1813. Naval forces
led by Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British at Put-in-Bay and regained
control of Lake Erie.
The Battle of the Thames: On October 5, 1813, General Harrison's U.S.
army forces defeated a force of British and Indians on the banks of the
Thames River in Canada. In this battle Tecumseh was killed.
Major American victories in the war include Put-in Bay, the Thames,
and New Orleans.
Great Britain on the Offensive
Major British victories in the war include Bladensburg, Maryland, and
Washington, D.C.
The British also attacked Baltimore; however, after a three day siege
the Americans held. During this battle is when Francis Scott Key wrote
the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The Battle of New Orleans
The final battle of the war was fought at New Orleans.
General Andrew Jackson had been leading American forces in battles against
the Indians in the South. At New Orleans Jackson's forces defeated a
well trained, battle tested British army and navy. The victory restored
some of the national pride that had been lost because of earlier defeats.
The Battle of New Orleans had no effect upon the outcome of the war
because it was fought two weeks after the treaty of peace was signed
at Ghent!
The Treaty of Ghent
The treaty was signed to end the war on December 24, 1814
It returned all land boundaries to what they had been when the war began.
A commission was set up to decide the northeastern boundary between the
U.S. and Canada. Control of the Great Lakes and fishing rights were to
be settled at a later date.
Although neither side could claim victory, the U.S. became more independent
from European affairs after the war.
The Hartford Convention
New England was the section of the U.S. that opposed the war. In December
1814, New England Federalists held a secret convention at Hartford, Connecticut,
to protest against the war and propose amendments to the Constitution.
Some suggested seceding from the Union, and they suggested that states
could declare federal laws null and void.
The National Spirit
The War of 1812 best reflected the feeling of nationalism in the United
States.
Politics
Measures Congress passed that showed the growing spirit of nationalism
in the United States were measures for the Second Bank of the United
States, a new protective tariff, and money for roads and canals.
Second Bank of the United States: When the first bank went out of existence
in 1811, private banks took over. Often, they did not have enough gold
or silver to back up their paper money. The second bank was created to
solve the problem.
Protective Tariff: This tariff protected new American industries, created
during the War of 1812, by adding to the price of British goods.
National Transportation System: The Cumberland, or National, Road was
first planned in 1807. Construction began in 1811, and by 1818, the National
Road joined the Potomac and Ohio Rivers. Between 1822 and 1838, it was
extended through Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana, to Vandalia,
Illinois.
The Courts
Actions of the Supreme court that showed a spirit of nationalism in
the United States include: Fletcher v. Peck- laws by states could be
voided if they violated provisions of the Constitution; McCullough v.
Maryland- upheld supremacy of national government; and Gibbons v. Ogden-
only Congress could make laws regulating state trade.
Foreign Affairs
Relations with Great Britain: Agreements after the War of 1812 created
better relations between the U.S. and Great Britain. The Rush-Bagot Agreement
of 1817 provided for mutual disarmament on the Great Lakes. The Convention
of 1818 set up a series of agreements. Americans were permitted limited
fishing rights in the Atlantic Ocean off the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland.
The northern boundary of the Louisiana Territory was fixed at the 49th
parallel, from northern Minnesota to the Rocky Mountains. In addition,
the Convention of 1818 called for a joint occupation of the Oregon Territory
for ten years.
Acquisition of Florida: In the Adams-Onis Treaty, Spain agreed to give
up all claims to West Florida and to cede East Florida to the U.S. The
U.S. agreed to pay claims of American citizens against the Spanish government
up to $5 million. The U.S. also agreed to give up its claim to Texas.
The two countries also agreed to a boundary between the U.S. and the
Spanish lands to the west.
The Monroe
Doctrine: The purpose of the Monroe Doctrine was to prevent
further colonization in the Western Hemisphere by European countries.
Nationalism could be seen in the foreign affairs of the United States
in the Monroe Doctrine and American expansion.
The Rise of an American Culture
American Literature
Settings used by American writers in the 1800s include American settings,
including the Hudson Valley and the frontier.
American Painting and Music
Themes of American painters after 1812 were American themes, including
landscapes and people.
American Architecture
Roman and Greek styles were most used by American architects.
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