War Of 1812 Essay Outline

The War of 1812, also called the Second War of Independence, began June 18, 1812 and ended February 18, 1815. The two year and eight month war began for a number of reasons; trade restrictions, the impressments of American merchant sailors, British support of Indian tribes against American expansion, and the possibility of America’s interest in annexing British territory in modern-day Canada. The British Empire attacked from Canada on foot and on water via Lake Champlain. These attacks were held back by the Americans However, a naval force successfully landed in the Chesapeake Bay area. This force advanced on Washington, which was the capitol of America. Britain set fire to most of the public buildings, including the White House and the Capitol.

First, the army and navy of America were enlarged and funded. Also, the National Bank, which the first charter for had expired, was revived in 1816. The First Protective tariff was instituted. The Tariff of 1816 was a twenty to twenty-five percent tax on imported goods. The Tariff was set because British companies were “dumping”. Dumping was the act of sending a product to another country at a price below the price charged in its home market or below its cost of production in order to monopolize. The tariff increased over the years, which would strangle any competition from Britain. Senator and former Congressman Henry Clay had a plan for America to be a profitable country, it was known as the American System. The three main parts of the plan were a strong banking system, a protective tariff, and a network of roads and canals. President Madison vetoed any bill that gave states aid for infrastructure. The Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans were opposed to using federal money to support interstate improvements. More people were migrating west but, over-speculation in the frontier lands let to the Panic of 1819. The Panic of 1819 was the first financial panic since President Washington took

In McCulloch versus Maryland, John Marshall declared that Maryland could not tax the federal bank notes. In so doing, Marshall strengthened federal authority. He relied on the Hamiltonian doctrine of implied powers, which made room for the federal banking system to fall under the protection of the Constitution. In Cohens versus Virginia, Cohens was illegally selling lottery tickets in the state of Virginia. Virginia won and further cemented the powers of the federal government. In Gibbons versus Ogden, New York tried to give a private company the rights to the Hudson River. The waterway was used between New York and New Jersey. New York lost the case. In Fletcher versus Peck, Georgia granted 35 million acres to private speculators. John Marshall let the state give the acres to the private speculators calling it a contract and constitutional. The decision protected property rights against popular pressures. In Dartmouth College versus Woodward, Dartmouth College was given a charter by King George III but New Hampshire wanted to take it away. John Marshall ruled in favor of the