War Of 1812 (1960)

[Music] of all the wars in our history the War of 1812 against England is probably the least familiar to you and you will find as You Follow the story I'm about to tell that it was a truly odd and puzzling war in the next 15 minutes as the story of the War of 1812 unfolds you will find the answers to some puzzling questions how did we get into a war war that most Americans didn't want why didn't Great Britain then the world's most powerful Nation Crush our tiny Army and Navy would the major issues that brought on the war have resolved themselves without our going to war well let's find out England had been at war with Napoleon of and on since 1795 the effects of the war in Europe extended to their colonies in the West Indies the French West Indian Harbors were empty of French sailing vessels because of the British blade American merchant seamen were conspicuous along the Waterfront normally frequented only by French Kuman neutral American sailing vessels were loaded with French West Indian products the cargo would be transferred later to larger ships for The Voyage to France Americans believed their neutral ships could go anywhere on the high seas even in time of War however the British thought otherwise when British Men of War cited an American vessel they intercepted it British naval officers boarded these vessels to seize their cargo if it were destined for France in addition the American captain here dressed in the traditional civilian style of the time was ordered to assemble his crew each crewman was commanded to State his name if he replied with an English accent it was assumed he was born in England and therefore liable for English military service many American Born crewman were mistakenly seized in this manner this hateful practice was called impressment and it more than any other grievance was the main reason why the United States deed declared war against England in the area around the Great Lakes there was further cause for bad feeling England continued to occupy forts inside the United States which she had promised to give up after the Revolutionary War using these forts as trading posts the British were taking fur trade away from the Americans perhaps what was worse they paid for these furs with firearms English officers stirred up the Indians against the Americans all these grievances became political issues in 1810 whenever a handful of frontiersmen gathered to listen aggressive young candidates for congress scored the British for impressment the blockade stealing the fur trade Henry Clay was their leader and they were nicknamed the War Hawks they called for war against England and the easy annexation of Canada Henry Clay was elected to the Congress of 1811 and chosen Speaker of the House the drift towards war with England became Swift and vigorous despite Clay's warlike talk in Congress this country was wholly unprepared for War the British Navy the world's Mightiest completely outnumbered the ships of the American Navy in all classes the British army at full strength for its war against Napoleon completely dwarfed the small Reg regular American Army our army was supplemented by militia of the different states militian however liked the uniforms and trappings of the military but had no liking for a war which would involve fighting outside this country away from Washington life in the rest of the country went on as usual the average citizen had little concern in the events that were leading to war but this Tranquility was about to be shattered Congress spurred on by the warhawks declared war against England in the summer of 1812 if only four Senators had changed their vote it would have kept us out of War James Madison president of the United States issued a proclamation declaring a state of War existed two weeks later the news was published in the London Times Englishmen read the news that the United States had declared war against England with amazement and disbelief the British had kept only a small defensive force in Canada because their fighting strength was committed in Europe aware of this the Americans planned their strategy carefully they would invade Canada at both ends of Lake Erie to incircle what was then the vital heart of Canada here were the Strategic PS and most of the population to the east another American Force would cut across the St Lawrence River to prevent English reinforcements from reaching Lake Erie from Detroit the Americans crossed over into Canada and engaged the enemy for the first time in the Battle of Mal the Indians fighting for the British army moved quickly to meet the invading Americans they met head on confronted with close- range Savage Indian fighting the Americans broke and fled in complete disord the British goats pursued them back to Detroit and even crossed the bridge leading to the main gate of the fort they called for the surrender of the city the Americans raised the white flag over Detroit and its 800 inhabitants it's the only time in our history that a flag of surrender has flown over an American [Music] city at the other end of Lake Erie the Americans were content to stay within their own Forts and simply watch the enemy across cross the river the plan for the third invasion of Canada never materialized the American Force made up mostly of militia men made a token Advance North of platsburg they never reached the Canadian border they returned to their platsburg Barracks to their way of thinking an invasion of Canada was just too difficult to even try the failure of all three invasions forced American Military commanders to reconsider their strategy they now felt that a large scale invasion of Canada depended on control of Lake Erie Naval strength was necessary either to support an American Force operating north of the lake or to cut off a British Force south of the lake but the British had had the foresight to build a small Fleet on Lake Erie so the Americans chose a young Naval Lieutenant Oliver H Perry to build a fleet on Lake Erie to rest control of the lake from the British Perry's Fleet engaged the British at the height of the battle Perry had to be rode from his sinking ship to another American vessel to carry on the fight but finally the Americans won out Perry accepted the surrender of the British to his superiors he quot his Immortal words we have met the enemy and they are ours Perry's Victory touched off another invasion of Canada the Americans commanded by William Henry Harrison later president of the United States met the British and their Indian allies at the Battle of the temps river in Canada many Indian tribes were assembled to fight with the British [Music] this was possible only because of the personal leadership of one man the Great shaune Indian chief Tuma during the battle Tuma was killed with Tuma dead the confederation of Indian tribes collapsed never again would England rely on them as a fight F in Ally but the Americans lacked the strength to move deeper into Canada after their victory in 183 military activity shifted to the Niagara River from Fort Niagara the Americans crossed the river into Canada and burned a small village this senseless destruction changed the character of the War the British struck back across the frontier the British red coat surprised Fort Niagara and captured it easily [Music] the British immediately put everything to the torch in a 10m strip along the American side of the Niagara River in retaliation for Americans burning Canadian [Music] towns the British were to hold for Niagara to the end of the war however without greater reinforcements they could not penetrate deeper into the United States between English reinforcements in the United States stood only a few American fighting ships as fast as possible ships of War such as the mighty Constitution were Reed for Action her great yard arms and masks carried tremendous sails that gave her speed her guns could fire broadsides that could mortally any ship afloat soon after the war started the USS Constitution engaged an English warship the Constitution reduced the English frigate to a flaming H because enemy cannonballs bounced harmlessly off her Great Oak po Hereafter she was known as old iron side as 1814 began Napoleon Was Defeated and banished to the island of Elba now England could disregard Napoleon and concentrate on getting reinforcements to Canada the British went on the offensive and planned A Massive three-pronged Attack of their own cracked veteran British troops released from the Napoleonic Wars would move South from Canada to try to cut off New England from the rest of the country simultaneously a waterborne Army would sail up ches Bay and attack Washington and Baltimore far to the South another flotilla would move against New Orleans 1814 would be a decisive year the British Fleet controlled Lake Champlain and the British land forces had moved South as far as the American strong point at platsburg if the Americans could win control of the lake the position of the British troops encircling platsburg would become untenable young Lieutenant McDon was the man chosen to build a fleet on Lake Champlain and destroy the British [Music] Fleet he won a complete victory in the Chesapeake Bay Area it was a different story a small British Force occupied Washington against little opposition burned the White House and then moved on towards Baltimore but at Baltimore the Americans were on the alert ready to defend the city at all costs in vain did the British try to take Baltimore its spirited defense inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner with bombs bursting in [Music] air by the dawn's early light the flag was still there the other British Seaborn Army which had sailed from the West Indies approached new New Orleans between the British Army and the City of New Orleans the Americans held a very very strong position behind a canal the British had to attack the Americans head on the mle American Army commanded by General Andrew Jackson threw the British back and inflicted terrible losses celebrations heralded the great Victory ironically enough the British had signed a Treaty of Peace at G Belgium before the Battle of New Orleans was fought the British realized that they could never conquer the United States yes the War of 1812 was over and now perhaps we better understand how we got into the War and why England was unable to defeat but did the war accomplish anything worthwhile the basic Grievous that led the United States into war with England blockade a neutral country's rights impressment were all really side effects of England's life and death struggle with France now actually with England's defeat of Napoleon these issues disappeared by themselves so we can say that they probably would have disappeared without our going to war against Inland yet unquestion the war was an important milestone in American history basically it allowed us to complete our independence to settle for once and for all the question of whether or not appearance is not withstanding we were actually a colony of Great Britain in fact if not in name out of the war emerged a new nation confident proud United the United States has earned the right to take its place in the family of nation as a truly sovereign state the future of the young Republic was assured and that goal was worth fighting for