Chapter 12 Notes: The Second War for Independence and

the Upsurge of Nationalism

On to Canada Over Lands and Lakes
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War of 1812 was not fought very well on the Americans side
o No national anger
o Army was scattered and had old generals
o Strategy against Canada was not thought out very good
Went after Detroit, Niagara and Lake Champlain where they
were beaten
Should have gone after Montreal
o The British and Canadians were very enthusiasm
Captured American fort of Michilimackinac
In 1813 the Americans built a fleet of ships on the Great Lakes
o Led by Oliver Perry and had inexperienced men with him
o Managed to defeat a British fleet besides the odds
Helped bring morale to Americans
In 1814, 10,000 British troops prepared at Lake Champlain to crush
Americans
o On Sept. 11, 1814 Capt. Thomas MacDonough challenged the British
Won a victory despite all the odds, just barely

Washington Burned and New Orleans Defended

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August 1814
o British troops landed in the Chesapeake Bay area and dispersed the
Americans at Bladnesburg
Entered Washington D.C. and burned the newly built capitol
Battle of New Orleans
o Another British army brought trouble to the Mississippi Valley and
threatened New Orleans
Andrew Jackson lead a force of 7,000 sailors, pirates and
Frenchmen into battle
Were able to defeat the 8,000 British troops
British were over confident and messed up their strategy
Two weeks after this battle the news of peace from the British came
o Technically the British had wanted peace before the battle
o Gave a boost to American morale and nationalism
American navy had done better than the army had
o Were mad about British impressments of U.S. sailors
o Britain responded with a naval blockade
Ruined American economic life in fishing

The Treaty of Ghent

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At first the British had huge demands after the war

o Neutralized Indian buffer state in Great Lakes region
o Control of the Great Lakes

A big part of Maine

The Americans refused to give this to the British
As Americans started winning, Britain reconsidered
Were preoccupied in Europe as well
Treaty was signed on Dec. 24, 1814
o Acknowledged a draw in the war and ignored demands of both sides
Everyone got their original land back
Agreed to just stop fighting with each other
A far cry from what both sides wanted at the beginning of the
war
o
o

Federalist Grievances and the Hartford Convention

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Mass., Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island met in

Hartford 1814-1815
o Discuss grievances and seek rightness for their wrongs
Most wanted financial assistance from Washington
Amendment requiring 2/3 majority for all embargos
Sent envoys to D.C. to propose the changes
o Right before doing so they received the news about American victory
at New Orleans
Shrank away in disgrace
Their issues didnt seem so big anymore
Hartford Convention was the death sentence for the Federalists
o No more Federalist presidents

The Second War for American Independence

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War of 1812 considered a small war

o Only about 6,000 Americans killed or wounded
o Americans still proved they could stand up for themselves
American diplomats and captains treated with more respect
o New war heroes emerged like Andrew Jackson and William Harrison
o Manufacturing prospered during British blockade
The Rush-Bagot Treaty
o In 1817 between the U.S. and the British
o Worlds longest fortified boundary along south of Canada and north of
U.S.
Napoleon defeated at Waterloo
o Europe was exhausted and wanted peace
o America looked to the west to expand

Nascent Nationalism
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The war created a huge surge in Nationalism

o Authors like Irving and Cooper got international recognition
o History books now being written for Americans by Americans
o Artists painting American landscapes
o Restored Washington D.C. as better than before

The American System

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In 1824 Henry Clay established a program called the American System

o Began with a strong banking system
o Advocated a protective tariff
o A network of roads and canals for better transportation
Especially in the Ohio Valley
Lack of transportation had been an issue in the War of 1812
Congress wanted to give the states $1.5 million for the
transportation
Madison vetoed it saying it was unconstitutional
States left to look for their own money to fix the roads

The So-Called Era of Good Feeling

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James Monroe defeated his Federalists opponent in 1816

o Was in between the Founding Fathers and a new age of nationalism
o In 1817 took a goodwill tour into New England and people loved him
o Newspaper said a Era of Good Feeling had begun
Trouble was starting to brew though
o South did not like the tariff of 1816 saying it only benefited the North
o South didnt like paying taxes for roads and canals in other states

The Panic of 1819 and the Curse of Hard Times

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In 1819 an economic panic engulfed the U.S.

o Brought deflation, depression, bankruptcies, bank failures,
unemployment, overcrowded debtors prisons
o Major caused from over-speculation in land prices
Bank of United States fell heavily into debt
o The West was very hard hit
Bank of the U.S. forced banks to foreclose on many mortgages
Many came to see the Bank as the devil

Growing Pains of the West

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Between 1791 and 1819 nine frontier states added to original 13

o Due to cheap land, the eliminations of the Indians and need for land for
tobacco
The West had a low population and was politically weak
o Forced to ally itself with other sections to demand cheap acreage
Land Act of 1820
Buyer could purchase 80 acres at $1.25
o West also demanded transportation and slowly got it

Slavery and Sectional Balance

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Tensions came to a boil between the North and South

o Missouri wanted to become a slave state
o House of Reps tried to stop the idea with the Tallmadge Amendment

No more slaves brought into Missouri and gradual emancipation

of slave children
Southerners saw this as a threat since Northerners might be
able to wipe slavery out there too
At the moment there were 11 non slave states and 11
slave states
South didnt want to upset that balance
North also getting more populous and wealthier, threatening South

The Uneasy Missouri Compromise

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Deadlock broken by a bundle of compromises

o Missouri would be admitted as a slave state
Maine would be admitted as a free state
Keeping the balance
o All new states north of 36 30 line would be free
Both states got something, even if both were not completely happy
Monroe continued to stay popular, even after the Missouri issue and 1819
panic
o He won a second term in 1820

John Marshall and Judicial Nationalism

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Chief John Marshall helped to strengthen the Federal government at expense

of the states
McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819)
o Maryland trying to destroy the Bank of the U.S. by taxing its currency
notes
o Marshall used Hamiltons principle of implied power
Told Maryland they had no right to tax the bank
Helped enforced the idea of a loose construction of the
Constitution
Cohens vs. Virginia
o Cohens found guilty of illegally selling lottery tickets
They appealed to the Supreme Court but lost
o Marshall still asserted the right of the Supreme Court to review
decisions of state courts
With all questions concerning the fed. Gov.
Gibbons vs. Ogden
o New York tried to grant a monopoly of waterborne commerce
Marshall said only Congress can control interstate commerce
A blow to the states rights

Judicial Dikes Against Democratic Excesses

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Fletcher vs. Peck

o Georgia fraudulently granted 35 million acres in the Yazoo River to
pricateers
The legislature repealed it after the public protested
Marshall said it was a contract and the states couldnt impair it

this will later become a problem

Dartmouth College vs. Woodward
o Dartmouth grated a charter by King George III
New Hampshire trying to change it
Marshall ruled that the original charter had to stand
It was a contract, something the Constitution protected

Sharing Oregon and Acquiring Florida

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Treaty of 1818
o Put the boundary of Louisiana Purchase at the 49 th parallel
For a 10 year joint occupation of Oregon with the British
Revolutions started to break out in South and Central Florida
o U.S. already owned some land in Florida but mainly Spanish
o Spanish troops withdrew from Florida to squash rebellions
Indians started to attack American land then retreat back into
Spanish territory
o Andrew Jackson wanted to stop these Indian attacks
Hung Indian chiefs and British subjects for helping them
Seized the forts of St. Marks and Pensacola
o Monroe concerned about Jackson and consulted his cabinet
All wanted him punished except John Quincy Adams
He wanted concessions from Spain
The Florida Purchase Treaty of 1819
o Spain ceded Florida and claims to Oregon in exchange for Texas

The Menace of Monarchy in America

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Monarchs in Europe still shaken from Napoleon and wanted to protect from
democracy
o Crushed any democratic rebellions in Italy and in Spain
o Americans were very alarmed
Russias claims to North America coming down from Alaska made Americans
nervous
o Didnt want them to claim something rightfully American
other countries looking to Latin America to overcome and put down rebellions
o makes Americans nervous that they will be next
August 1823, British foreign secretary George Canning approaches the
American minister in London
o Proposed that U.S. and Britain combined in a joint declaration
Warning European despots to stay away from Latin America

Monroe and His Doctrine

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John Quincy Adams sensed that something was off

o The agreement with Britain would morally tie the U.S.s hands
o Knew that the British would send their boats to protect merchant trade
in South America

Thought it would be safe to show Europe some rebellion

1823 the Monroe Doctrine was born
o Announced non-colonization and nonintervention
o In return, U.S. would not interfere with Greek democratic revolt in
Turkey

Monroes Doctrine Appraised

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The monarchs of Europe were angered but couldnt stop it

o British army was very strong and could stop them
Everyone, even Latin America knew the real message behind Monroe
o British navy was really the one doing the protecting
o U.S. only doing it so they too can have protection
Monroes words pretty much forgotten until 1845
o Only concerned for the safety of his own country
o Doctrine never been a law, pledge or agreement
Expression of post-1812 nationalism
Many Americans felt safe and that they could be isolated if they wanted to be
o Just because the president told the old world to stay away