James Madison became the fourth President of the United States on March 4, 1809.
United States Resumes Nonintercourse with Britain
The passage of Macon's Bill No. 2 enabled President Madison to play the two warring nations against one another, Napoleon, however, used the situation to his advantage. Napoleon agreed to end French Navy's harassment of American vessels, President Madison, in turn, resumed a non-intercourse policy with Britain. When President Madison discovered that France persisted to violate the neutrality of American vessels despite Napoleon's promise to the contrary he did not reverse his foreign policy with Britain.
Shawnee Indian Chief Tecumseh's Federation Squashed
In 1805 Shawnee Indian Chief Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwata, or the Prophet, began to assemble the tribes east of the Mississippi into a confederation to resist the westward expansion of the white man. By 1811 the bulk of Tecumseh's forces were assembled at Prophetstown, on the Tippecanoe Creek in Indiana. In November of 1811 General William Henry Harrison assembled a force of 1,000 soldiers, and marched on Prophetstown, surrounding the Indian camp. Tecumseh was out recruiting at the time and so Tenskwata was in charge of the Indian forces. On November 7, 1811 Tenskwata lead an attack against Harrison's troops. The battle itself was a draw, but the way in which Harrison's soldiers had held their ground in spite of Tenskwata's use of magic disheartened the Indian forces. This battle marked the beginning of the decline of the Indian confederation. Tecumseh died in 1813 during the Battle of the Thames.
Legislation
Macon's Bill No. 2
Late in 1809 Representative Nathaniel Macon of North Carolina introduced a bill that permitted American vessels to trade with all nations, but closed American ports to vessels from Britain and France. This bill was replaced by a second bill which removed all restrictions on trade, but forbade French and British warships from entering American waters. The second bill had a clause which enabled the President to reintroduce non-intercourse with one of the warring powers should the other agree to cease violating the neutrality of the United States. Macon's Bill No. 2 became law in May of 1810.
War of 1812
Outraged at the infringement upon America's rights at sea, the nation put pressure on President Madison for military retaliation. At the request of President Madison, Congress declared war against Britain on June 18, 1812. The declaration came two days after the British had decided to suspend their trade restriction on American goods, and five days before Britain's new foreign secretary Lord Castlereagh ordered the suspension of attacks on American vessels.
1813-1817 Second Term
Events
Inauguration
James Madison delivered his second inaugural address during a ceremony held at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on March 4, 1813.
Washington Captured and Destroyed
British forces captured Washington D.C. in August of 1814. They torched a number of government buildings including the Capitol Building and the President's mansion. President Madison, Congress, and the American Army stationed in Washington fled into Virginia, where they hid for a few weeks until the British abandoned the city.
The Star-Spangled Banner
On September 13 and 14 of 1814 the British attacked Fort McHenry, just outside Baltimore on the Patapsco River. The attack lasted over twenty-five hours. At dawn on September 14, Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer detained on a British ship, saw the American flag flying over the battered fort and wrote the words to the Star-Spangled Banner. The words were later set to the music of an popular English song "To Anacreon in Heaven". Though the song was immensely popular with the American people, and was sung by Army and Navy alike at ceremonies throughout the years, it did not become the national anthem until President Woodrow Wilson established it as such in 1916.
Hartford Convention
In December and January 1814 Federalists from the five New England states met in Hartford, Connecticut, to protest the war and discuss possible secession from the Union. Though the convention did not vote to push for secession, it did resolve to push for amendments to the Constitution which would make New England more independent of the federal government. Poor communications kept the delegates from learning of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which happened in late December. News of the treaty discredited the Federalists. Their opposition to the war, which may have seemed reasonable when the outcome of the war was unknown, seemed unpatriotic in light of an amicable settlement with Britain. The ill-timed Hartford Convention seemed to make the word "Federalist" synonymous with 'Traitor" in the minds of most Americans. After the convention the party disbanded forever.
Battle of New Orleans
The most decisive victory for the Americans in the War of 1812 actually occurred after the signing of the Treaty of Ghent. Unaware of the progress of the peace talks, British forces under the leadership of Major General Sir Edward Pakenham marched on the city of New Orleans. On December 23, a day before the Treaty of Ghent was actually signed, British forces were regrouping outside the gates of the city when they were attacked by American forces under the leadership of General Andrew Jackson. The battle lasted two weeks, during which time the British suffered 2,100 casualties, including Major General Pakenham who was shot twice before being killed by a shell fragment. In comparison the Americans suffered only 72 casualties.
Legislation
Treaty of Ghent
The Peace of Ghent was finally signed on December 24, 1814. The Treaty ended the fighting between the United States and Britain, but did not resolve the question of international rights at sea, the issue over which the war had been fought.
Second Bank of the United States
The Second Bank of the United States was chartered in 1816 for a term of twenty years. The new bank was given the authority to hold public funds without having to pay interest on their use.
