The War Of 1812 And The Chesapeake Bay - 2639 Words

The War of 1812 and the Chesapeake Bay On March 3rd, 1813, the first British ships of war appeared on the Chesapeake Bay. For two years the Chesapeake would be the scene of numerous amounts of battles. Some would be lost in anonymity, but others would make history. But first, why did the British come? We were at war almost thirty years before, so how did it come upon these two superpower nations to collide once again? A few answers to these questions will put the war of 1812 and the Battle of the Chesapeake Bay in its proper context. Shortly following the Revolutionary War, America built one of the strongest merchant fleets the world had ever seen. Overseas trade flourished America’s economy, with its peak specifically in 1807 with exports ranging around $100 million (Hickey). Throughout this period of growth for America, Great Britain’s Royal Navy was without a doubt the master of the high seas. Not helping the future war, Thomas Jefferson was elected into office in 18 01 and one of his most notable actions was to shrink the Navy and Military significantly. The homelands defense now laid in the hands of a small fleet of mainly gunboats. They did have a few capital ships, however their primary tasks were to remain as the â€Å"floating fortress† of vital eastern seaboard ports. Only quite rarely did they ever see open water conflict. British and French ships, however, took advantage of the weaker merchant ships of the US navy and began to prey on them. The British continuouslyShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of The War Of 18121487 Words   |  6 PagesThe War of 1812 had many tremendous battles that featured the newly formed American Army verse the well-established British forces. The Americans were forced to declare war of the British because the British refused to stop interfering with American trade, impressment of American sailor, and support for Indian attacks on new American settlements. The United States had to quickly The Battle of Balt imore was the most significant battle in the War of 1812 because it drove back the British Navy intoRead MoreThe War of 1812 Essay1051 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican-British War of 1812 which ended officially in 1814 with the peace Treaty of Ghent. None of the issues which instigated war were really resolved and it would seem that for the US, the War of 1812 was just a series of failures and few triumphs that, in the end, cost the Natives more than anyone else. The war began with fired-up Americans seeking resolution to their deep-seated resentments toward the British; hard feelings which only festered during the French Revolutionary Wars. Since the AmericanRead MoreThe Revolutionary War And The Declaration Of Independence1586 Words   |  7 Pages Decades following the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence, America continued to face challenges in their young country. Tensions with the British, as well as Native Americans, led to more struggles for America. The British failed to recognize the United States of America as a separate and free country, and by enlisting the help of frustrated Native Americans they continued to be a sore within America. They believed they had rights to some parts of land in western Florida, theyRead MoreThe War Of 1812 And The British War Essay1650 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States of America forces and the British Empire. Because the British feared that trade with the United States was harmful for the battle with France, they ended up restricting trade between them. Additionally, the British forces feared that the United States’ forces wanted to set up an Indian State in the West in order to maintain a strong influence in the region. This explains why more than 10,000 Native American engaged in fighting on theRead More The War of 1812 Essay1307 Words   |  6 PagesThe War Of 1812 The War of 1812 took place while president James Madison was in office. Madison was born in Orange County, Virginia in 1751. He attended the College of New Jersey, which is now well known as Princeton. Madison did many significant things both before and after he was in office. He participated in the framing of the Virginia Constitution, served in the Continental Congress and he was also a leader in the Virginia Assembly. One of his major contributions was a ratification to the ConstitutionRead MoreEffect Of The Embargo On America s National Anthem1192 Words   |  5 Pagesgave proof through the night that our flag was still there,† The Star Spangled Banner. The War of 1812 contained the battle of which inspired the Defense of Fort McHenry, or also widely known as the Star Spangled Banner, America’s national anthem written by Francis Key Scott. Great Britain and France had gone to war in 1803 which affected the United States despite its decision to remain neutral in the wars of European nations. Great Britain and France began to pass laws that prevented America fromRead MoreEssay about The War of 18121719 Words   |  7 PagesThe War of 1812 On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The peace treaty to end the war was signed in Europe, 1814. The war lasted from 1812 to the spring of 1815 because there was a delay in communications. It was fought along the Canadian border, along with several sea battles. By the time the war was over the United States lost 2,260 soldiers, and the British 1,600 soldiers. The war of 1812 was a very significant event that took place in the U.S. It did in fact confirmRead MoreThe Life and Accomplishments of James Madison995 Words   |  4 Pagesthe general election for delegates in the state assembly Madison lost to a candidate who gave out free whiskey to the voters. In 1778 he was appointed to the Virginia Council of State which directed the affairs of the state during the Revolutionary War. When James Madison was twenty nine years old he became a member of the Continental congress. For three years Madison pushed for legislation to strengthen the newly formed confederation of states. He stated that military victory required giving theRead MoreThe European Colonization Of Americas 1620-900 Words   |  4 Pagessettlement. This important territorial gain, was the establishment of Massachusetts’s Bay Colony. The natives were able to help these Puritans get settled in the new colony. They showed them the land, how to farm, fish, and hunt, and soon Massachusetts was a prosperous colony for America. From 1620- These migrants established and settled in three major regions known today as New England, the Middle Atlantic, and the Chesapeake. The main purpose of these major colonies was to develop money-making tradingRead MoreWas The Second War For Independence?1199 Words   |  5 Pagesbeen at war for several years. During the battle of Trafalgar, in 1803, Britain destr oyed what was left of the French navy. Napoleon took steps to attack British trade. â€Å"The result was called the Continental System, designed to close the European continent to British trade† (Brinkley, 171). Britain had established a blockade requiring cargo being delivered to Napoleon’s Europe be aboard a British or neutral countries ship, â€Å"†¦precisely what Napoleon’s policies forbade† (Brinkley, 171). The War of 1812