In June of 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain for several reasons, the primary of which was the impressment of U.S. Sailors on the high seas for use in the British Navy. Once declared, the United States, under President John Madison, took the initiative and conducted a series of attacks into Canada resulting in the burning of government buildings. The British eventually repelled the attacks and took to the offensive striking at America and setting Washington D.C. ablaze in the summer of 1814. By the time the battle of New Orleans takes place in January of 1815, the Treaty of Ghent had already been signed signaling the official end to the war, however, the speed of trans-Atlantic communication proved too slow to prevent this last battle in the War of 1812. The battle of New Orleans has Major General Andrew Jackson lead U.S. Army regulars, New Orleans citizens, and militiamen from various surrounding states to repel the attacks of British General Edward Pakenham and the infantry troops he commanded (War of 1812, 2012). A series of poor decisions by the British coupled with terrain obstacles, technology and the ability to seize the initiative contributed to their defeat on 8 January 1815. This paper will examine the battle preparations and maneuvers that led to the British defeat and highlight some of the key factors in deciding the outcome of the battle. After the burning of the White House and the Capitol building in Washington D.C., American forces successfully fought off a major offensive by British forces in Baltimore at Hampstead Hill and Fort McHenry (Hugh, 2012). The British then set their sights on America's access point to the west: New Orleans and the Mississippi River. The British forces planne... ... middle of paper ... ...e to allow for victory despite a disadvantaged fighting posture. However, hope is not a solid strategy for victory and the lessons of the past should be learned, understood, and implemented into current doctrine. Works Cited Andrew Jackson Defends New Orleans in War of 1812. (2012). The History Channel website. Retrieved 11:57, March 24, 2012, from http://www.history.com/videos/andrew-jackson-hero-of-new-orleans. Hugh, H. (2012). Big night in baltimore. Military History, 28 (6). King, D. C. (2002). New orleans: One of the most brilliant victories. Retrieved March 24, 2012 from the EBSCO Database. War of 1812. In (2011). Columbia electronic encyclopedia (6th ed.). Columbia University Press. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.libproxy.troy.edu/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=19&sid=55c26b42-7cb0-45da-8e2e-c574f1fe28ae@sessionmgr10&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ==
The victory of the War of 1812 was a huge leap toward America becoming its own nation because of the national unity the win provided its citizens. The morale of the citizens lifted greatly because they managed to defeat the greatest military powers of the world and managed to survive. It also proved to the world that the american nation could defend itself from foreign threats. The victory improved America’s self confidence and faith in the military to defend the natiosn freedom and honor.
The battle of New Orleans was a significant battle in the war of 1812. It was a crushing defeat for the British, increased patriotism, and Andrew Jackson emerged an American hero.
America had suffered numerous devastating losses, such as the capture of Washington D.C. The ratification of the Treaty of Ghent on February 17, 1815, ended the war. The war of 1812 was known as the second war of independence and was called the beginning of an era of partisan agreement and national pride, or the “Era of good feelings”. “The Era of Good Feelings” was an inaccurate label for the selected time period.
In the summer of 1775, The Americans prepared to attack the British in Boston. But Washington was informed that they were shorthanded on gunpowder. The Americans had fewer than 10,000 pounds, roughly nine rounds per man. The situation was not expected to improve soon. During the night of March 4th, 1776 in Boston. Washington pulled the unthinkable and surprised the British by placing his army up the undefended Dorchester Heights. The British had ships anchored in the Boston Harbor, which were within range of American cannons. The British army woke up the next morning and was amazed to see how much hard work took place that night by the American army. Since the British army was surrounded they had no ot...
As a country, the United States felt that the War of 1812 was under control and that they were well prepared for any battle any army could throw at them. After the United States won an important battle on Lake Erie in 1813, the American commander, Oliver Hazard Perry, sent the message "We have met the enemy and they are ours." As a new country, America, having just defeated the greatest military strength on the earth, was perhaps overconfident. However, once Great Britain turned all of its attention to defeating the United States, America realized that the fate of her country relied on Baltimore, and Baltimore relied on the protection of Fort McHenry. If Fort McHenry was taken over by the British, the Nation would have been split into two. The fate of the United States rested, to a large extent, on the success or failure of the central prong attack which was being protected by Fort McHenry. If Baltimore had not had Fort McHenry for protection, the city would have been an easy target and our nation would have perished because Baltimore would have lacked the proper protection it needed to prevail.
In late August 1814, after two hard years of fighting America's Second War for Independence with the British, the United States scrambled to establish defenses to protect important military installations in Northern Virginia and Maryland, then under threat of the intimidating British invasion force ominously lurking in Chesapeake Bay. President Madison and his administration had difficulty determining the over-all British military and political objectives and were slow to realize Washington, D.C.'s symbolic importance to the British. Consequently they made little preparation to defend the city. As for the British force commander, Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane, he did not yet have his eyes set on other valuable American military targets, such as the nearby port city of Baltimore. Instead, goaded on by a letter urging him to avenge the earlier brutal American raid on the Canadian Port Dover, he focused his forces towards the destruction Washington, D.C.. Just after sunset on August 24, 1814, to the shock and horror of the remaining inhabitants of the city, British forces descended on the U.S. Capitol with one purpose in mind: to raze it to the ground. , , Brushing aside token resistance from the few American regulars and militia stationed in the District, the British proceeded to burn the White House, Treasury Building, State Department, War Office and Naval Yard. In this primal act of wanton destruction, the British humiliated the United States, avenged the indignation of the Dover raids, dispersed key members of the U.S. Government and exercised complete domination over the capitol of their bitter enemy. In gaining a political victory in burning the U.S. Capitol, the British lost the more important strategic initi...
On September 13, 1814 that was warships that was filled with british people that started a war, called the bombardment which was also known for the battle of Baltimore. Which came a little weeks afer the british had attacked Washington, D.C., they left the capitol burning, the treasury and the presidents house. In the mist of all that caos, a week erlier Francis Scott Key a thirty five year old American lawyer(A.K.A. the person who wrote the star Spangled Banner) had borded the flagship of the british fleet on the Chesapeake Bay. He was trying to convince or persuade the British to release a friend that was recently arrested. Francis had so great plans and Ideas but because he and his companions had gotten so much knowledge of the impending attack on Baltimore the british did not let them go.
Late in the war, 1778, was the point of Britain being close to defeat. Current commander of British forces was Lt. General Henry Clinton trying to stop this rebellion. He was thinking on how to do this with the North of America under Patriot control. Clinton then decided on turning to the South of the United States (www.theamericanrevolutiong.org). Fighting was becoming heavy between the militia and the United Kingdom’s forces (www.theamericanrevolution.org). However, General Clinton had once been to the South of the U.S. before, but failed in taking a key city (Charleston, South Carolina) by sea on June 28, 1776 (www.theamericanrevolution.org).
Prior to the battle on 8 January, the British had already lost a few hundred men to smaller skirmishes with American troops. The losses caused Pakenham to lose confidence is an immediate retaliation against the U.S. forces, giving MG Jackson and his men time to set up a defense and rest. Going into the Battle of New Orleans, the British forces consisted of a main force of 5,300 soldiers under the command of Pakenham, and a smaller force of approximately 700 men under Colonel William Thornton, who was to attack General Morgan and his men. Pakenham split his main force into two larger formations and one smaller unit. The first half of the force was composed of 2,600 soldiers from the 93rd Highlanders and 95th Rifles, while the other main force
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and Great Britain from June 1812 to the spring of 1815 (Findling, 15). When the war began, it was being fought by the Americans to address their grievances toward the British, though toward the end, the issues eventually were unjustified and reasons manipulated. There is no single cause for the War of 1812 but instead, several related causes, such the influence of the War Hawks, the impressments as well as the Embargo and Non-Intercourse acts, and the British's possible interference with the Indian Nations, and land ownership disputes between the Natives and Americans, ultimately leading to the Battle of Tippecanoe.
Americans view the War of 1812 as the second war for independence because of British threats on American sovereignty. In 1806, Britain took advantage of the Americans by declaring the Orders in Council Act. The act indicated that any ships carrying goods to France would be seized. This act allowed Britain to seize approximately 1 000 American ships by late 1806. After this act, Brit...
The French and Indian War or the Seven Years War was one of the major events that led to the American Revolution. The French and Indian War started in 1754 when George Washington and General Edward Braddock tried to defend the British land that they felt the French were taking with their expansion into the Ohio River valley. In 1755 Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts had many French settlers in the Nova Scotia region moved from that region to avoid any confrontation if these settlers sided with their home country. These people were exiled from their home and moved into British colonies in a very cruel and violent fashion. This is one of the first examples of Britain’s oppressive nature towards people they consider a threat to what they feel is the best solution. The British military effort, at this time, was not as impassioned or successful. Both George Washington and General Braddock suffered major defeats at the hands of the French and their allies, General Braddock was even killed in one of the early battles before this war was officially started. It was not until later in the war that the British were able to successfully defeat the French. The war officially began in 1756 and ended in 1763 but this war is far less important than the major event it caused. More than anything this war was the first step to the American Revolution.
In september of 1814, an impressive naval victory by the Americans forced British troops back into Canada. Soon after a peace agreement was signed the British attacked again not knowing about the agreement as thus major attack left them at a halt. This led to the day of January 8th, 1815, the British marched against New Orleans with high hopes of separating Louisiana from the rest of the United states. However things didn't go quite as the troops planned, as a brave person named Pirate Jean Lafitte warned Americans of the upcoming attack. Arriving to their destination the British were cut short by the militiaman armed and ready to protect what's theirs. The 7,500 British soldiers were unable to penetrate the U.S. troops and separate Louisana. Retreating the battle, the british were left short nearly 2,000 men and a General due to death or wounds. As for the U.S. force 8 dead and 13 wounded. Although this battle didn’t have a bearing outcome in the war, General Andrew Jackson and his overwhelming victory elevated the nation's pride. In conclusion to the Battle of New orleans the U.S. and Britain had were done their last armed engagement.
The battle was fought on September 12th to September 15th, 1814. The weather was raining when the British Warships attacked Fort McHenry. The British had 5,000 men and 19 ships fighting for them and the US had 1,000 men and 20 guns fighting for them. The British commanders were Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Colonel Arthur Brooke. The US commanders were Major General Samuel Smith and Major Greg Armistead. The British attack ships had 5 bomb ketches and 10 smaller warships. On September 12, 1814 Ross landed with 4,500 men on the tip of North Point. They began advancing northwest towards Baltimore. At 6:30 a.m. the British were in position and opened fire on Fort McHenry. The British ships struck the fort with heavy mortar shells. Major Armistead had 1,000 troops tried to fire back, but they couldn’t because the ships were too far away from the guns to reach. The British made a mistake of sending 1,200 men to go and try to enter the fort in small boats. A shell was fired as a warning shot, but the light had given away their position. They got into intense crossfires between Covington and Babcock. By dawn, the British had fired between 1,500 and 1,800 rounds at Fort McHenry. The aftermath of the battle for the US was 4 killed and 24 wounded. The British had about 330 killed, wounded and captured. The flag that the Star Spangled
Millett, Allan Reed., Peter Maslowski, and William B. Feis. For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States from 1607 to 2012. New York: Free, 2012. Print.