War of 1812 (and Fort McHenry)

Fort McHenry – War of 1812. First Invasion.

• Britain stopped American ships on the seas and took American sailors, forcing them to serve in the British Navy.
• The war is not popular amongst Americans. Only a few of the countrymen are in favor of this decision.
• Britain has the better army in every way, and the US has no real navy.
• United States tries to take Canada in the beginning of the war and fail miserably.
• The British don’t really believe that the Americans are a threat, so they do horrible things like raiding and raping women and burning towns and things under the orders of Vice Admiral Alexander Cochran.
• August 19th – 5000 British troops land in Maryland and begin to march west. Everyone is afraid they’re headed for Washington, so legal papers are moved out of the capitol and troops are gathered. Government officials are fleeing the city, and almost nobody is left.
• August 24th, 1814 – a humiliating defeat at Bladensburg, Maryland for the United States. Our soldiers mostly just ran away to Washington. With Washington almost abandoned, the British troops ruin our capitol.
• As the British were burning Washington, a hurricane AND a tornado appear and put out the flames, as well as killing many British soldiers.
• September 10th, 1814 – the destruction of Washington has spread fear to Baltimore. The city has to prepare for an attack so they do not have the same fate as Washington. Samuel Smith is appointed to lead the defenses.
• Major George Armistead is ordered to Fort McHenry because it guards the entrance to the city of Baltimore. The Baltimore merchants sank their own ships so that British ships couldn’t get past.
• September 11th – The British attack. Some citizens run in panic and others wait to defend the city.
• An anonymous sniper kills the British commander. This changes the entire course of the war of 1812.
• Francis Scott Key becomes one of the main leaders of the American troops.
• There is a huge battle at Fort McHenry that lasts for over 12 hours. Bombs and rockets are flying, there is lightning and gunfire and cannon fire.
  
• The only way the people still left in Baltimore will know if they are successful is if the flag above the fort is still waving. This, and the lights and sounds, were the basis for the lyrics to our National Anthem.
• At dawn of September 14th, the British are ordered to retreat after 25 hours of battle.
• Francis Scott Key was not very political, not very patriotic, and even against the war, but he thought that this country and its defenders deserved a song.
• Congress officially approved the song as the National Anthem in 1931.
• The resulting treaty didn't amount to anything, and no side got anything they really wanted, leaving the situation the same as before.

• The British target New Orleans because they are trying to get New England to secede from the union. However Andrew Jackson (a major at the time) got in the way. Jackson hated the British beyond all because they held him and his family captive earlier in his life.
• Jackson recruits an army to defend New Orleans.
• 4000 ragtag Americans against 10,000 British regulars.
• On December 12th, fishermen spy the British heading towards New Orleans.
• On December 14th, a small number of American gunboats are attacked by British ships heading for New Orleans, and the Americans lose miserably.
• Instead of pressing on and taking New Orleans by surprise, they decided to wait and plan an attack on the advancing Americans.
• Jackson orders about 1500 men to ambush the British camp.
• On December 23rd at night, the guns of the Americans open fire, catching the British camp completely by surprise. There is ferocious hand to hand combat, and Americans are forced to withdraw.
  
• 24 hours later, British and Americans meet in Ghent, Belgium to make a peace treaty from the war of 1812. However, it is too late to get word to troops in New Orleans, so that battle continues on.
• The British fail in an artillery attack, but still believe they can win.
• Only American morale, plus good luck, will turn the tide of the battle.
• There is a huge battle as the British try to attack the flank of the American line.
  
• There is chaos among the British as they are brutally attacked by the Americans, and British commanders keep falling.
• In just 20 minutes, British high command has been obliterated. The British realize they will never reach New Orleans, so after 2 hours of fighting, they retreat.

• The Federalist delegates who had pushed for succession are labeled as traitors.
• The war of 1812 was a turning point in the development of American democracy and government. It proved we were here to stay.
• It gave credence to manifest destiny, to American independence, and to American government.