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The War of 1812: a Second War for True Independence Or Alliance with England?

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The War of 1812: a Second War for True Independence Or Alliance with England? Stark County Teaching American History Grant Stark County Educational Service Center 2100 38th Street NW Canton, Ohio 44709 The War of 1812: A Second War for True Independence or Alliance with England? Grade Level: Grade 10 Created By: Jill Collet GlenOak High School Plain Local Schools Duration 1-90 minute blocked class periods Or 2-45 minute traditional class periods Courtesy of the Library of Congress Overview • Often called “the second war for independence,” the War of 1812 proved to be much more than a simple re-iteration of its separation from the British. Its opening necessitated the creation of a new kind of politician-young, ambitious, and nationalistic. In the following lesson exploring primary sources, students will discover the reasons why these “war hawks” advocated for participation in a second war with Great Britain. Through placing themselves in the debate taking place during this crucial time period in US History, students will demonstrate understanding of the arguments for and against war and the permanent consequences it had on a newly independent nation. 1 Ohio’s New Learning Standards ODE American History Model Curriculum Content Statements 2. The use of primary and secondary sources of information includes an examination of the credibility of each source. 3. Historians develop theses and use evidence to support or refute positions. 4. Historians analyze cause, effect, sequence and correlation in historical events, including multiple causation and long- and short-term causal relations. College Board AP United States History Content Outline 5. The Early Republic, 1789-1815 Emergence of political parties: Federalists and Republicans Expansion into the trans-Appalachian West; American Indian resistance The War of 1812 and its consequences Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6–12 For Grades 9-10 Students Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts. Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims. Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources. 2 Historical Background War of 1812 Historical Narrative Often called the "Second War for Independence," the War of 1812 often appears to the observer to be a short war fought against the British to preserve the independence of Americans. In reality, the war had far greater repercussions for the perceived freedoms of citizens of the United States and the future of its experiment in democratic republican forms of government. The War of 1812 proved to be a test for the unity of the United States and its perceptions of what it meant to be a democratic and autonomous nation. Despite the fact that the United States had won a hard fought battle for freedom against the British during the Revolution, the citizens of the United States found themselves still to be closely connected to the British Empire. Beginning with Jay's Treaty, Americans found both economic and social ties to be of great important to the countries on both sides of the Atlantic. While the British moved to protect its Canadian borders and improve its alliances to the Native American base around the Canadian/United States border, some citizens of the United States began to question the close proximity of these British and whether it would not be more advantageous to move against these borders and solidify the new United States as an individualized, powerful nation. The British Orders in Council and restrictions on trade proved to be too much to be countenanced by all United States citizens. Impressment of American sailors by the British Navy added insult to injury by allowing for the questioning of the autonomy and validity of the United States government. Thus, the "War Hawks" were born. Led by the newly powerful young senators Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, there now appeared a new, energetic, nationalistic group of young Americans bent on proving the power and newly won ascendancy of the democratic masses. Their "must- haves" included not only respect for the young nation through dominance over the new land and its Indian inhabitants and proof of power through a second defeat of the once- dominant British military, but also the possibility of expanding U.S. authority and sense of empire-building into Canada. For all of these reasons, Americans embarked upon a quest to not only solidify U.S. power in North America, but to also test the new republic in respect to its warring factions. Despite the warnings of Washington, the leaders of the United States had devolved into a system of political parties and divisive politics. The debate between the War Hawks and their need for expansion and proof of U.S. superiority and the British connected Federalist politics resulted in a showdown of the ever-evolving ideology of the meaning of American freedom. The resulting Hartford Convention and debate over governmental powers and how they had been changed due to war lead to the demise on one political party and the rise of a more powerful and far-reaching Democratic-Republican party. The War of 1812 proved to be one of the first, but certainly not the last, tests of American loyalty and commitment to democracy. The constant question of whether the U.S. should become involved in altercations with others in the name of preserving democracy and autonomy was first tested on a large scale with the War of 1812. How much was the new country willing to take from the British in regards to impressment of its sailors and interference with free commerce? This first great debate set the stage for future discussion on freedom and its meaning for all Americans. 3 Enduring Understandings/ Essential Questions • Interaction and debate between groups can lead to the establishment of new governments. • War may lead to a shift in domestic policies. • How are new governments and policies established? • What shifts in domestic policies may be prompted by war? Instructional Strategies • This lesson should come after students have been introduced to the War of 1812 through reading and direct classroom instruction. AP students are expected to complete the identifications and discussion questions (see Appendix J) using their text in the classes before the debate is scheduled. • Students will complete the following bell ringer in order to engage them in the previous reading and activate prior knowledge from their reading (5 minutes): o The outcome of the War of 1812 was a(n) A. decisive victory for the United States. B. stimulus to patriotic nationalism in the United States. C. embarrassment for American diplomacy. D. heavy blow to American manufacturing. E. decisive victory for the British. • Teams will have been determined by the teacher before class and provide for groups of mixed abilities. • Each debate team will receive a packet of primary sources representing the viewpoints of the War Hawks and the Federalists. • The following question will be used as the basis for the debate and should be written on the board: o Should the United States get involved in the War of 1812? Why or why not? • Students will break down into pairs and utilize “APPARTS,” (Appendix B) a series of questions to aid students in discerning the meaning and importance of the document (30 minutes). • Students will then share out their document with their group members so that all members can fill out both sides of the “T” chart (Appendix C). This is necessary so that students can anticipate the opposition’s points and provide effective rebuttal (20 minutes). • Students will select an opening speaker to present an overview of the arguments. • Students will then take part in a period of debate (25 minutes). Students should be filling in both sides of the “T” chart as they debate. The teacher should be noting student participation and effective arguments and counter-arguments. This participation will be evaluated utilizing the rubric. (Appendix C) 4 • In addition to the quality of participation during the debate, students will be evaluated through the rubric on the content of their “T” chart. • Students will complete a 2-3 paragraph response the end of the debate. In 2-3 paragraphs (30 minutes), they will respond to the question, “How did this debate allude to a shift in American political ideology and domestic policy?” (Appendix K) Classroom Materials • Primary Source packet for each side (Appendices D-K) Resources Clay, H. (1843). The life and speeches of henry clay. New York, New York: Greeley & M’Elrath. Retrieved from http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/106/109018/ch9_a5_d1.pdf Clay, Henry, The Works of Henry Clay: Speeches Vol. 5 (Barnes & Burr, 1863) http://books.google.com/books?id=RWwSAAAAYAAJ&dq=In+reply,+he+would+ask,+ what+are+we+not+to+lose+by+peace%3F+Henry+Clay&source=gbs_navlinks_s (accessed April 29, 2013) 282-4. College Board. (2012). Ap central-ap courses and exams. Retrieved from http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/index.html Kennedy, D., Cohen, L., & Bailey, T. (2010). The american pageant. (14th ed.). Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Lewis, S. (Cartographer). (1812). A correct map of the seat of war. [Print Map]. Library of Congress. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/item/2002624022 (accessed April 29, 2013). Randolph, J. “Speech given in House of Representatives”, (1812).
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