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Grade 4 Social Studies · World 5: A Young Nation Grows · Level 41
The War of 1812
Explain its causes: British seizing of sailors, trade limits, and fights in the west.
Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.
What children learn in Level 41
- The young country soon faced Britain again. Britain was at war with France and needed sailors, so it stopped American ships and forced men to serve. This was called impressment.
- Britain also blocked American trade with France, and it helped American Indian nations who were resisting settlers. The Shawnee leader Tecumseh was uniting nations to protect their lands.
- Some Americans also hoped to win land in Canada and the west. In June 1812, under President James Madison, Congress declared war.
- The war went badly at first. But the ship USS Constitution beat British ships, and it earned the name Old Ironsides.
- The Treaty of Ghent ended the war in 1814 with little change, though news traveled slowly. Weeks later, Andrew Jackson won the Battle of New Orleans. Americans felt proud, but American Indian nations paid a heavy price. The Muscogee, or Creek, lost huge amounts of land in Georgia and Alabama.
Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:
- SS4H3.a — Describe the causes and events of the War of 1812; include the burning of the Capitol and the White House and the writing of "The Star Spangled Banner."