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Name: . Period: .
Who’s Who: War of 1812 Interactive: http://warof1812.thinkport.org/#home.html
Read the information carefully. Answer the following questions.
1. James Madison referred to as:
2. Define “diplomacy” (based on prior knowledge)
3. What did “War-Hawks” urge?
4. The War of 1812 revealed 2 glaring weaknesses. What were they?
5. Dolley Madison: Describe her personality.
6. What did she order to be saved during the burning of Washington D.C.?
7. Andrew Jackson describe the role he played in the War of 1812.
8. How did the accomplishment during the war impact his future?
9. Francis Scott Key: What was his profession and what was his interaction with the British fleet?
10. Why was he anxious?
11. What was the name of the song he composed? (This later became the lyrics for the National Anthem.)
12. Tecumseh (Hanover Street): What does his name mean?
13. Name Tecumseh’s tribe.
14. Who were Tecumseh’s allies and what major battle did they win?
15. What happened following his death?
16. John Armstrong was a member of James Madison’s cabinet. What position did he hold?
17. What two factors made him a poor choice for this position?
18. Evaluate his military campaign. Was he successful?
19. Mary Pickersgill: Explain her importance and role in the War of 1812.
20. Charles Ball Why was he different than most runaway slaves?
21. Thomas Boyle: Define privateer. How were privateer’s rewarded?
22. How many ships did he captured? How much was his profit?
23. Isaac Brock: What was his position?
24. What is 2 things is he remember for and what were his dying words?
25. Thomas MacDonough: What was his title and what was he in charge of?
26. Robert Ross: Explain his position and importance.
27. William Henry Harrison: List and explain his presidential slogan. Explain why he choose this.
28. William Henry Harrison was elected the 9th president. Explain what this was a reflection of.
30. Oliver Hazzard Perry: Explain his position and importance.
31. Oliver Hazzard Perry: Write his nickname and his famous quote.
32. Henry Clay: Explain his position and role.
Name: . Period: .
ANSWER KEY Who’s Who: War of 1812 Interactive: http://warof1812.thinkport.org/#home.html
Read the information carefully. Answer the following questions.
1. James Madison referred to as “the Father,” of the U.S. Constitution
2. Define “diplomacy” (based on prior knowledge)
The communication between countries to avoid conflicts and to make agreements.
3. What did “War-Hawks” urge?
vigorously urged war with Great Britain.
4. The War of 1812 revealed 2 glaring weaknesses. What were they?
America had neither a strong army nor a strong national bank.
5. Dolley Madison: Describe her personality.
She was a charming and witty. Politically savvy and with a gift of charisma, she created the image of the “first lady.”
6. What did she order to be saved during the burning of Washington D.C.?
As the British marched on the capital in 1814, she ordered the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington to be saved from certain destruction.
7. Andrew Jackson describe the role he played in the War of 1812.
During the war, Jackson commanded a force of U.S. Army regulars, Cherokee allies and Tennessee militiamen in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson’s success against the Creek Indians there led to his promotion to the rank of Major General. In January 1815, Jackson led the Americans to victory in the Battle of New Orleans.
8. How did the accomplishment during the war impact his future?
Jackson’s leadership in the war made him a hero in America. He would later win the presidency in 1829.
9. Francis Scott Key: What was his profession and what was his interaction with the British fleet?
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer and an amateur poet. Several days before the attack on Baltimore, Key and John Skinner met the British fleet to negotiate the release of a prisoner. Following the negotiation, Key was on board an American truce ship when the bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry began.
10. Why was he anxious?
Unable to leave the ship, Key watched anxiously as the bombs fell on the fort for 25 hours. As the smoke cleared on the morning of September 14, Key saw the fort’s flag flying in the distance. Fort McHenry had held.
11. What was the name of the song he composed? (This later became the lyrics for the National Anthem.)
Key was inspired to write a song about the experience, which he called “Defense of Fort McHenry.” The words he wrote that night would later become the lyrics of America’s National Anthem: “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming.”
12. Tecumseh (Hanover Street): What does his name mean?
Tecumseh was a Native American leader from the Shawnee tribe whose name meant “Shooting Star” in Shawnee.
13. Name Tecumseh’s tribe. Shawnee
14. Who were Tecumseh’s allies and what major battle did they win?
During the War of 1812, Tecumseh allied with the British and Canadians. He helped in the successful siege of Fort Detroit in 1812. But in October 1813, the Shawnee warrior was killed at Thamesville.
15. What happened following his death?
Soon after Tecumseh’s death, the tribes of his confederacy surrendered at Fort Detroit. Any hope for a confederacy among the Native American tribes of the Northwest Territory had ended.
16. John Armstrong was a member of James Madison’s cabinet. What position did he hold?
Faced with a shortage of military leadership, President James Madison made John Armstrong his secretary of war in 1813.
17. What two factors made him a poor choice for this position?
Armstrong had neither the experience nor the personality for the job. One close acquaintance described him as a man of “obstinacy and self-conceit.”
18. Evaluate his military campaign. Was he successful?
Armstrong and the Madison administration placed almost the entire focus of the war on invading Canada – leaving the American seacoast virtually undefended. When the British were closing in on Washington, D.C., Armstrong dismissed the threat. After the invaders torched the city, the president asked Armstrong to resign. He did in September 1814, and was replaced by James Monroe.
19. Mary Pickersgill: Explain her importance and role in the War of 1812.
Mary Pickersgill was a widow who lived in Baltimore, MD. She supported herself by sewing flags. In the summer of 1813, Major George Armistead, the commander of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, commissioned Pickersgill to sew two flags. The larger of these flags measured 30 feet by 42 feet. This was the flag that Francis Scott Key saw the morning that he wrote what would later become known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
20. Charles Ball Why was he different than most runaway slaves?
Charles Ball was a runaway slave who joined the war effort on behalf of the Americans. Such a move was risky for former slaves; most joined the British war effort rather than risk being arrested and returned to slavery.
21. Thomas Boyle: Define privateer. How were privateer’s rewarded?
Privateers were private citizens or ships who were permitted to attack enemy merchant ships during wartime. The cargoes of the captured ships were sold, and their proceeds became the privateer’s reward. Thomas Boyle of Baltimore fought in the War of 1812 as a privateer.
22. How many ships did he captured? How much was his profit?
Boyle was one of the most successful of Baltimore’s seafaring raiders. He is said to have captured 53 British ships and to have pocketed $1 million of profit for his efforts. His most famous ship, “The Chasseaur,” is replicated today in Baltimore’s goodwill sailing ship “The Pride of Baltimore II.”
23. Isaac Brock: What was his position?
British General Isaac Brock distinguished himself in the Northwest theater in the early part of the war. In 1812, Brock bluffed a more powerful American army into surrendering Fort Detroit.
24. What is 2 things is he remember for and what were his dying words?
Known as “the hero of Upper Canada,” Brock is remembered for his bravery and resourcefulness. It is said that his dying words were, “Push on, brave volunteers!” A large monument to Brock still stands on Queenston Heights.
25. Thomas MacDonough: What was his title and what was he in charge of?
Commodore Thomas Macdonough led a fleet of American naval ships during the Battle of Lake Champlain.
26. Robert Ross: Explain his position and importance.
Major General Robert Ross commanded all British troops on the East Coast of the United States during the War of 1812. His defeat of the Americans at Bladensburg, Maryland, resulted in the British capture of Washington, D.C. Though his men burned the White House and other public buildings in the city, Ross spared many private residences. Ross was killed by snipers in 1814 during the assault on Baltimore.
27. William Henry Harrison: List and explain his presidential slogan. Explain why he choose this.
Harrison campaigned for president with vice presidential candidate John Tyler, using the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.” William Henry Harrison first gained national attention during the War of 1812. As governor of the Indiana Territory, Harrison defeated a confederacy of Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe.
28. William Henry Harrison was elected the 9th president. Explain what this was a reflection of.
His successful bid to be the ninth president reflected the strong animosity of many Americans, particularly frontier settlers, against the Native Americans.
30. Oliver Hazzard Perry: Explain his position and importance.
In September 1813, U.S. Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet of nine ships in the Battle of Lake Erie. Amid the fighting, Perry was forced to abandon his fleet’s flagship via an open rowboat. He then boarded the American ship Niagara, where he continued to lead the fight. Eventually the British surrendered.
31. Oliver Hazzard Perry: Write his nickname and his famous quote.
Perry became known as the “hero of Lake Erie.” He summed up the victory by writing, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”
32. Henry Clay: Explain his position and role.
As Speaker of the House and a leading advocate of the War of 1812, he persuaded other Congressmen to become “War Hawks.” Eventually Clay and the other Hawks convinced President James Madison of the need to declare war. In addition to advocating for the war, Clay helped negotiate the peace at Ghent in 1814.
Who’s Who:
James Madison
One of the original drafters, and generally referred to as “the Father,” of the U.S. Constitution, James Madison became the country’s fourth president in 1809. Madison continued Jefferson’s policy of diplomacy and trade embargoes to avoid war with Great Britain. But embargoes did not stop Britain’s support for Indian uprisings in the Northwest Territory. Nor did they diffuse the situation at sea, where British ships had been seizing American cargoes bound for France and impressing American seamen into the Royal Navy. An aggressive faction of the Democratic-Republican party, known as “The War Hawks,” vigorously urged war with Great Britain. The measure for war passed by a slim majority in Congress and Madison signed the measure on June 18, 1812. The war effort revealed the young nation’s weaknesses — in 1812, America had neither a strong army nor a strong national bank. After the war, Madison and his successor, James Monroe, focused on both.
Dolley Madison
Seventeen years younger than her husband, first lady Dolley Madison was a charming and witty hostess in James Madison’s White House. But the first lady’s charms were not all social. Politically savvy and with a gift of charisma, she created the image of the “first lady.” As the British marched on the capital in 1814, she ordered the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington to be saved from certain destruction. She escaped the city just ahead of the British troops, who torched the White House when they arrived.
Andrew Jackson
Born between North and South Carolina, Andrew Jackson served in Congress before the outbreak of the War of 1812. During the war, Jackson commanded a force of U.S. Army regulars, Cherokee allies and Tennessee militiamen in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. Jackson’s success against the Creek Indians there led to his promotion to the rank of Major General. In January 1815, Jackson led the Americans to victory in the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson’s leadership in the war made him a hero in America. He would later win the presidency in 1829.
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer and an amateur poet. Several days before the attack on Baltimore, Key and John Skinner met the British fleet to negotiate the release of a prisoner. Following the negotiation, Key was on board an American truce ship when the bombardment of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry began. Unable to leave the ship, Key watched anxiously as the bombs fell on the fort for 25 hours. As the smoke cleared on the morning of September 14, Key saw the fort’s flag flying in the distance. Fort McHenry had held. Key was inspired to write a song about the experience, which he called “Defense of Fort McHenry.” The words he wrote that night would later become the lyrics of America’s National Anthem: “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming.”
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader from the Shawnee tribe. Born in 1768, Tecumseh, whose name meant “Shooting Star” in Shawnee, opposed American expansion into the Northwest Territory. He once said, “Our lives are in the hands of the Great Spirit. We are determined to defend our lands, and if it is his will, we wish to leave our bones upon them.” Tecumseh and his brother, known as “The Prophet,” organized a confederacy of tribes against the American settlers. During the War of 1812, Tecumseh allied with the British and Canadians. He helped in the successful siege of Fort Detroit in 1812. But in October 1813, the Shawnee warrior was killed at Thamesville. Soon after Tecumseh’s death, the tribes of his confederacy surrendered at Fort Detroit. Any hope for a confederacy among the Native American tribes of the Northwest Territory had ended.
John Armstrong
Faced with a shortage of military leadership, President James Madison made John Armstrong his secretary of war in 1813. Armstrong had neither the experience nor the personality for the job. One close acquaintance described him as a man of “obstinacy and self-conceit.” Armstrong and the Madison administration placed almost the entire focus of the war on invading Canada – leaving the American seacoast virtually undefended. When the British were closing in on Washington, D.C., Armstrong dismissed the threat. After the invaders torched the city, the president asked Armstrong to resign. He did in September 1814, and was replaced by James Monroe.
Mary Pickersgill
Mary Pickersgill was a widow who lived in Baltimore, MD. She supported herself by sewing flags. In the summer of 1813, Major George Armistead, the commander of Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, commissioned Pickersgill to sew two flags. Along with her daughter Caroline and Grace Swisher, an enslaved African-American, the women labored for more than a month to make both flags. The larger of these flags measured 30 feet by 42 feet. This was the flag that Francis Scott Key saw the morning that he wrote what would later become known as “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Charles Ball
Charles Ball was a runaway slave who joined the war effort on behalf of the Americans. Such a move was risky for former slaves; most joined the British war effort rather than risk being arrested and returned to slavery. Ball served as a seaman and cook in the Chesapeake flotilla. He later fought next to Commodore Joshua Barney at the Battle of Bladensburg. Ball later described the battle in his memoir, writing, “I stood at my gun, until the Commodore was shot down.” Ball later became a successful businessman and property owner but lost all when he was re-enslaved in Baltimore after the War of 1812.
Thomas Boyle
Thomas Boyle of Baltimore fought in the War of 1812 as a privateer. Privateers were private citizens or ships who were permitted to attack enemy merchant ships during wartime. The cargoes of the captured ships were sold, and their proceeds became the privateer’s reward. Boyle was one of the most successful of Baltimore’s seafaring raiders. He is said to have captured 53 British ships and to have pocketed $1 million of profit for his efforts. His most famous ship, “The Chasseaur,” is replicated today in Baltimore’s goodwill sailing ship “The Pride of Baltimore II.”
Isaac Brock
British General Isaac Brock distinguished himself in the Northwest theater in the early part of the war. In 1812, Brock bluffed a more powerful American army into surrendering Fort Detroit. After that victory, Brock won the trust of the Shawnee warrior Tecumseh. Brock and Tecumseh worked together along the Canadian border. In October 1813, an American force took Queenston Heights from Brock’s forces. Brock led a counterattack up the hill. Though Brock lost his life in the attack, his troops succeeded in taking Queenston Heights back from the Americans. Known as “the hero of Upper Canada,” Brock is remembered for his bravery and resourcefulness. It is said that his dying words were, “Push on, brave volunteers!” A large monument to Brock still stands on Queenston Heights.
Thomas Macdonough
Commodore Thomas Macdonough led a fleet of American naval ships during the Battle of Lake Champlain. Anticipating the arrival of a more powerful British force, Macdonough ordered his ships to anchor in Plattsburgh Bay, forcing the British to sail against the tide and wind. Macdonough was able to use the anchor cables to swing his ships around so that he could fire anew at the British. This strategy proved key to the American victory at the Battle of Plattsburgh. This victory helped secure America’s northern border. Several U.S. Navy ships have been named after Macdonough.
Robert Ross
Major General Robert Ross commanded all British troops on the East Coast of the United States during the War of 1812. His defeat of the Americans at Bladensburg, Maryland, resulted in the British capture of Washington, D.C. Though his men burned the White House and other public buildings in the city, Ross spared many private residences. Ross was killed by snipers in 1814 during the assault on Baltimore.
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison first gained national attention during the War of 1812. As governor of the Indiana Territory, Harrison defeated a confederacy of Native Americans at the Battle of Tippecanoe. He also led forces to victory at the Battle of the Thames. Later, Harrison campaigned for president with vice presidential candidate John Tyler, using the slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.” His successful bid to be the ninth president reflected the strong animosity of many Americans, particularly frontier settlers, against the Native Americans.
Oliver Hazard Perry
In September 1813, U.S. Navy Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet of nine ships in the Battle of Lake Erie. Amid the fighting, Perry was forced to abandon his fleet’s flagship via an open rowboat. He then boarded the American ship Niagara, where he continued to lead the fight. Eventually the British surrendered, and Perry became known as the “hero of Lake Erie.” He summed up the victory by writing, “We have met the enemy and they are ours.”
Henry Clay
Representative Henry Clay of Kentucky feared that the British might attempt to take American land in the Northwest. As Speaker of the House and a leading advocate of the War of 1812, he persuaded other Congressmen to become “War Hawks.” Eventually Clay and the other Hawks convinced President James Madison of the need to declare war. In addition to advocating for the war, Clay helped negotiate the peace at Ghent in 1814.