A Short History of the United States by Channing

by Edward Channing

  §§ 241-244.--a. When and how had Louisiana changed hands since its settlement? Why were the Spaniards poor neighbors?

  b. How did the United States acquire Louisiana?

  c. Trace on a map the boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase. Compare its value to-day with the price paid.

  d. What important discoveries did Lewis and Clark make?

  §§ 245, 246.--a. Give instances which illustrate the disadvantages of the old way of electing the President and Vice-President.

  b. Explain carefully the changes made by the Twelfth Amendment, and show how a President may be elected by a minority of the voters.

  CHAPTER 24

  §§ 247.--a. Describe the doings of the African pirates. Why had Washington and Adams paid them?

  b. Describe Jefferson's action and state the results.

  §§ 248, 249.--a. Compare the power of France and Great Britain at this time.

  b. How did they try to injure one another? How did they treat American ships?

  c. Explain the impressment of sailors by the British.

  §§ 250, 251.--a. Describe the difficulties of Jefferson's position.

  b. Give instances of refusal to buy British goods and the results.

  c. Explain the Embargo Act. Why was it a failure?

  d. Describe the outrage on the Chesapeake. Was the offer of the British government enough? What more should have been promised?

  §§ 252, 253.--a. What were Jefferson's objections to a third term? What custom was established by these early Presidents?

  b. Where have we found Madison prominent before?

  c. Explain the difference between the Embargo Act and the Non-Intercourse Act.

  §§ 254, 255.--a. Describe the attempt to renew friendly intercourse with Great Britain.

  b. What do you think of Napoleon's treatment of the United States?

  §§ 256.--a. What caused the trouble with the Indians?

  b. Describe Harrison's action. How were the British connected with this Indian trouble?

  §§ 257-259.--a. How did all these affairs affect the relations between the United States and Great Britain?

  b. Explain the attitude of Clay and Calhoun.

  c. What is meant by the "rising spirit of nationality"?

  d. Illustrate, by facts already studied, the reasons given in Madison's message.

  GENERAL QUESTIONS

  a. How has machinery influenced the history of the United States?

  b. Draw a map showing the extent of the United States in 1802 and 1804.

  c. What were the four most important things in Jefferson's administrations? Why do you select these?

  TOPICS FOR SPECIAL WORK

  a. Robert Fulton or Eli Whitney.

  b. Exploration of the Northwest.

  c. War with the African pirates.

  d. Life and manners in 1800.

  SUGGESTIONS

  The purchase of Louisiana and the early development of the West are leading points in this period. With the latter must be coupled the important inventions which made such development possible. Commercial questions should receive adequate attention and should be illustrated by present conditions.

  Jefferson's attitude toward both the Louisiana Purchase and the enforcement of the Embargo Act is an illustration of the effect which power and responsibility have on those placed at the head of the government. This can also be illustrated by events in our own time.

  IX

  WAR AND PEACE, 1812-1829

  Books for Study and Reading

  References.--Higginson's Larger History, 365-442; Scribner's Popular History, IV; Lossing's Field-Book of the War of 1812; Coffin's Building the Nation, 149-231.

  Home Readings.--Barnes's Yankee Ships; Roosevelt's Naval War of 1812; Seawell's Midshipman Paulding; Holmes's Old Ironsides; Goodwin's Dolly Madison.

  CHAPTER 25

  THE SECOND WAR OF INDEPENDENCE, 1812 1815

  [Sidenote: American plan of campaign, 1812.]

  [Sidenote: Objections to it.]

  260. Plan of Campaign, 1812.--The American plan of campaign was that General Hull should invade Canada from Detroit. He could then march eastward, north of Lake Erie, and meet another army which was to cross the Niagara River. These two armies were to take up the eastward march and join a third army from New York. The three armies then would capture Montreal and Quebec and generally all Canada. It was a splendid plan.

  But there were three things in the way of carrying it out: (i) there was no trained American army; (2) there were no supplies for an army when gathered and trained; and (3) there was a small, well-trained and well-supplied army in Canada.

  [Illustration: DETROIT, ABOUT 1815.]

  [Sidenote: Hull's march to Detroit.]

  [Sidenote: His misfortunes.]

  [Sidenote: He surrenders Detroit, 1812.]

  261. Hull's Surrender of Detroit, 1812.--In those days Detroit was separated from the settled parts of Ohio by two hundred miles of wilderness. To get his men and supplies to Detroit, Hull had first of all to cut a road through the forest. The British learned of the actual declaration of war before Hull knew of it. They dashed down on his scattered detachments and seized his provisions. Hull sent out expedition after expedition to gather supplies and bring in the scattered settlers. Tecumthe and the other Indian allies of the British captured one expedition after another. The British advanced on Detroit, and Hull surrendered. By this disaster the British got control of the upper lakes. They even invaded Ohio.

  [Illustration: PERRY'S BATTLE FLAG.]

  [Sidenote: Battle of Lake Erie 1813. McMaster, 234-235.]

  [Sidenote: Battle of the Thames, 1813.]

  262. Perry's Victory on Lake Erie, 1813.--But the British triumph did not last long. In the winter of 1812-13 Captain Oliver Hazard Perry built a fleet of warships on Lake Erie. They were built of green timber cut for the purpose. They were poor vessels, but were as good as the British vessels. In September, 1813, Perry sailed in search of the British ships. Coming up with them, he hoisted at his masthead a large blue flag with Lawrence's immortal words, "Don't give up the ship" (p.

  212), worked upon it. The battle was fiercely fought. Soon Perry's flagship, the Lawrence, was disabled and only nine of her crew were uninjured. Rowing to another ship, Perry continued the fight. In fifteen minutes more all the British ships surrendered. The control of Lake Erie was now in American hands. The British retreated from the southern side of the lake. General Harrison occupied Detroit. He then crossed into Canada and defeated a British army on the banks of the river Thames (October, 1813).

  [Illustration: THE "CONSTITUTION." From an early painting of the escape of the Constitution from the British fleet. The men in the boat are preparing to carry out a small anchor.]

  [Sidenote: The Constitution.]

  [Sidenote: Chased by a British fleet, 1812.]

  [Sidenote: She escapes.]

  263. The Frigate Constitution.--One of the first vessels to get to sea was the Constitution, commanded by Isaac Hull. She sailed from Chesapeake Bay for New York, where she was to serve as a guard-ship. On the way she fell in with a British squadron. The Constitution sailed on with the whole British fleet in pursuit. Soon the wind began to die away. The Constitution's sails were soaked with water to make them hold the wind better. Then the wind gave out altogether, Captain Hull lowered his boats and the men began to tow the ship. But the British lowered their boats also. They set a great many boats to towing their fastest ship, and she began to gain on the Constitution. Then Captain Hull found that he was sailing over shoal water, although out of sight of land, so he sent a small anchor ahead in a boat. The anchor was dropped and men on the ship pulled in the anchor line. This was done again and again. The Constitution now began to gain on the British fleet. Then a sudden squall burst on the ships. Captain Hull saw it coming and made every preparation to take advantage of it. When the rain cleared away, the Constitution was beyond fear of pursuit. But she could not go to New York, so Captain Hull took h
er to Boston. The government at once ordered him to stay where he was; but, before the orders reached Boston, the Constitution was far away.

  [Sidenote: Constitution and Guerrière, 1812.]

  [Sidenote: Reasons for the victory.]

  264. Constitution and Guerrière, 1812.--For some time Hull cruised about in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. One day he sighted a British frigate--the Guerrière--one of the ships that had chased the Constitution. But now that Hull found her alone, he steered straight for her. In thirty minutes from the firing of the first gun the Guerrière was a ruinous wreck. All of her masts and spars were shot away and most of her crew were killed or wounded. The Constitution was only slightly injured, and was soon ready to fight another British frigate, had there been one to fight. Indeed, the surgeons of the Constitution went on board of the Guerrière to help dress the wounds of the British seamen. The Guerrière was a little smaller than the Constitution and had smaller guns. But the real reason for this great victory was that the American ship and the American guns were very much better handled than were the British ship and the British guns.

  [Sidenote: Wasp and the Frolic]

  [Sidenote: Effect of these victories.]

  265. The Wasp and the Frolic, 1812.--At almost the same time the American ship Wasp captured the British brig Frolic. The Wasp had three masts, and the Frolic had only two masts. But the two vessels were really of about the same size, as the American ship was only five feet longer than her enemy, and had the lighter guns. In a few minutes after the beginning of the fight the Frolic was a shattered hulk, with only one sound man on her deck. Soon after the conflict a British battleship came up and captured both the Wasp and her prize.

  The effect of these victories of the Constitution and the Wasp was tremendous. Before the war British naval officers had called the Constitution "a bundle of sticks." Now it was thought to be no longer safe for British frigates to sail the seas alone. They must go in pairs to protect each other from "Old Ironsides." Before long the Constitution, now commanded by Captain Bainbridge, had captured the British frigate Java, and the frigate United States, Captain Decatur, had taken the British ship Macedonian. On the other hand, the Chesapeake was captured by the Shannon. This victory gave great satisfaction to the British. But Captain Lawrence's last words, "Don't give up the ship," have always been a glorious inspiration to American sailors.

  [Sidenote: Plan of campaign, 1814.]

  [Sidenote: Battle of Lundy's Lane, 1814.]

  266. Brown's Invasion of Canada, 1814.--In the first two years of the war the American armies in New York had done nothing. But abler men were now in command. Of these, General Jacob Brown, General Macomb, Colonel Winfield Scott, and Colonel Ripley deserve to be remembered.

  The American plan of campaign was that Brown, with Scott and Ripley, should cross the Niagara River and invade Canada. General Macomb, with a naval force under McDonough, was to hold the line of Lake Champlain. The British plan was to invade New York by way of Lake Champlain. Brown crossed the Niagara River and fought two brilliant battles at Chippewa and Lundy's Lane. The latter battle was especially glorious because the Americans captured British guns and held them against repeated attacks by British veterans. In the end, however, Brown was obliged to retire.

  [Sidenote: Invasion of New York.]

  [Sidenote: Battle of Plattsburg, 1814.]

  267. McDonough's Victory at Plattsburg, 1814.--General Prevost, with a fine army of veterans, marched southward from Canada, while a fleet sailed up Lake Champlain. At Plattsburg, on the western side of the lake, was General Macomb with a force of American soldiers. Anchored before the town was McDonough's fleet. Prevost attacked Macomb's army and was driven back. The British fleet attacked McDonough's vessels and was destroyed. That put an end to Prevost's invasion. He retreated back to Canada as fast as he could go.

  [Illustration: FORT McHENRY.]

  [Sidenote: Burning of Washington, 1814.]

  [Sidenote: "The Star-Spangled Banner."]

  268. The British in the Chesapeake, 1814.--Besides their operations on the Canadian frontier, the British tried to capture New Orleans and the cities on Chesapeake Bay. The British landed below Washington. They marched to the capital. They entered Washington. They burned the Capitol, the White House, and several other public buildings. They then hurried away, leaving their wounded behind them. Later on the British attacked Baltimore and were beaten off with great loss. It was at this time that Francis Scott Key wrote "The Star-Spangled Banner." He was detained on board one of the British warships during the fight. Eagerly he watched through the smoke for a glimpse of the flag over Fort McHenry at the harbor's mouth. In the morning the flag was still there. This defeat closed the British operations on the Chesapeake.

  [Illustration: FLAG OF FORT McHENRY. Fifteen stars and fifteen stripes--one of each for each state.]

  [Sidenote: Jackson's Creek campaign, 1814.]

  269. The Creek War.--The Creek Indians lived in Alabama. They saw with dismay the spreading settlements of the whites. The Americans were now at war. It would be a good chance to destroy them. So the Creeks fell upon the whites and murdered about four hundred. General Andrew Jackson of Tennessee commanded the American army in the Southwest. As soon as he knew that the Creeks were attacking the settlers, he gathered soldiers and followed the Indians to their stronghold. He stormed their fort and killed most of the garrison.

  [Illustration: BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS. From a sketch by one of Jackson's staff.]

  [Sidenote: Battle of New Orleans, 1815.]

  [Sidenote: Hero Tales, 139-147.]

  270. Jackson's Defense of New Orleans, 1814-15.--Jackson had scarcely finished this work when he learned of the coming of a great British expedition to the mouth of the Mississippi River. He at once hastened to the defense of New Orleans. Below the city the country greatly favored the defender. For there was very little solid ground except along the river's bank. Picking out an especially narrow place, Jackson built a breastwork of cotton bales and rubbish. In front of the breastwork he dug a deep ditch. The British rushed to the attack. Most of their generals were killed or wounded, and the slaughter was terrible. Later, they made another attack and were again beaten off.

  [Sidenote: Naval combats, 1814.]

  271. The War on the Sea, 1814.--It was only in the first year or so of the war that there was much fighting between American and British warships. After that the American ships could not get to sea, for the British stationed whole fleets off the entrances to the principal harbors. But a few American vessels ran the blockade and did good service. For instance, Captain Charles Stewart in the Constitution captured two British ships at one time. But most of the warships that got to sea were captured sooner or later.

  [Sidenote: The privateers. Hero Tales, 129-136.]

  272. The Privateers.--No British fleets could keep the privateers from leaving port. They swarmed upon the ocean and captured hundreds of British merchantmen, some of them within sight of the shores of Great Britain. In all, they captured more than twenty-five hundred British ships. They even fought the smaller warships of the enemy.

  [Sidenote: Treaty of peace, 1814.]

  273. Treaty of Ghent, 1814.--The war had hardly begun before commissioners to treat for peace were appointed by both the United States and Great Britain. But they did nothing until the failure of the 1814 campaign showed the British government that there was no hope of conquering any portion of the United States. Then the British were ready enough to make peace, and a treaty was signed at Ghent in December, 1814. This was two weeks before the British disaster at New Orleans occurred, and months before the news of it reached Europe. None of the things about which the war was fought were even mentioned in the treaty.

  But this did not really make much difference. For the British had repealed their orders as to American ships before the news of the declaration of war reached London. As for impressment, the guns of the Constitution had put an end to that.

  [Illustration: THE OLD STATE HOUSE. Where t
he Hartford Convention met.]

  [Sidenote: New England Federalists.]

  [Sidenote: Hartford Convention, 1814.]

  274. The Hartford Convention, 1814.--While the New commissioners were talking over the treaty of peace, other debaters were discussing the war, at Hartford, Connecticut. These were leading New England Federalists. They thought that the government at Washington had done many things that the Constitution of the United States did not permit it to do. They drew up a set of resolutions. Some of these read like those other resolutions drawn up by Jefferson and Madison in 1798 (p. 175).

  The Hartford debaters also thought that the national government had not done enough to protect the coasts of New England from British attacks.

  They proposed, therefore, that the taxes collected by the national government in New England should be handed over to the New England states to use for their defense. Commissioners were actually at Washington to propose this division of the national revenue when news came of Jackson's victory at New Orleans and of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. The commissioners hastened home and the Republican party regained its popularity with the voters.

  [Illustration: A REPUBLICAN SQUIB ON THE HARTFORD CONVENTION.]

  [Sidenote: Gains of the war.]

  [Sidenote: The American nation.]

  275. Gains of the War.--The United States gained no territory after all this fighting on sea and land. It did not even gain the abolition of impressment in so many words. But what was of far greater importance, the American people began to think of itself as a nation. Americans no longer looked to France or to England as models to be followed. They became Americans. The getting of this feeling of independence and of nationality was a very great step forward. It is right, therefore, to speak of this war as the Second War of Independence.

  [Illustration: JAMES MONROE.]

  CHAPTER 26

  THE ERA OF GOOD FEELING, 1815-1824

  [Sidenote: Monroe elected President, 1816, 1820.]

  [Sidenote: Characteristics of the Era of Good Feeling. McMaster, 260.]

  276. The Era as a Whole.--The years 1815-24 have been called the Era of Good Feeling, because there was no hard political fighting in all that time--at least not until the last year or two. In 1816 Monroe was elected President without much opposition. In 1820 he was reëlected President without any opposition whatever. Instead of fighting over politics, the people were busily employed in bringing vast regions of the West under cultivation and in founding great manufacturing industries in the East. They were also making roads and canals to connect the Western farms with the Eastern cities and factories. The later part of the era was a time of unbounded prosperity. Every now and then some hard question would come up for discussion. Its settlement would be put off, or the matter would be compromised. In these years the Federalist party disappeared, and the Republican party split into factions. By 1824 the differences in the Republican party had become so great that there was a sudden ending to the Era of Good Feeling.