Warof 1812 Newsela

The Expanding American Republic and
the War of 1812

By USHistory.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.09.17
Word Count 700
Level 830L
General Andrew Jackson (right) stands with his sword raised in his army's victory over the British in the Battle of New Orleans
during the War of 1812. Photo from Wikimedia Commons
The United States underwent huge changes during the beginning of the 1800s. The country
began to expand as settlers moved into new territory west of the Appalachian Mountains. At
the same time, the country entered new conflicts with Native Americans and Great Britain.
These events all played a part in the coming of the War of 1812.
America quickly expanded to the West
In 1803, the Louisiana Purchase added a huge piece of new territory to the United States. The
territory included land west of the Appalachian Mountains, which run from Maine to Georgia.
In 1790, only a small number of Americans lived in this area. But by 1820, 1 out of 4
Americans lived west of the Appalachians. During the early 1800s, many Americans moved
west into the new territory. This period of settlement was known as western expansion.
This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Western expansion caused a great deal of conflict. Native Americans in the west were not
happy to see Americans moving onto their land. This led to new conflicts along the frontier.
Slavery was expanded, too, and slaves were forced to move west and work on new land. But
the majority of white Americans saw western expansion as a big opportunity. It promised
independence and success to anyone willing to meet the challenges of frontier life.
Tensions increase with Great Britain
While western movement was reshaping the nation, European wars also presented a
challenge to the United States. The Napoleonic Wars were fought between Great Britain and
France from 1802 to 1815. The United States did not want to take a side in this conflict. It
wanted to keep trading with both countries. But neither Great Britain nor France respected this
position. Both tried to prevent U.S. ships from carrying goods to their enemy.
Britain was also assisting Native Americans in the western United States. This created more
conflict over land and trade, which finally led to the War of 1812. The United States entered
the war hesitantly. There was strong opposition from some Americans in New England. They
wanted to preserve friendly relations with Great Britain. When Congress finally declared war,
the vote was heavily divided.
The Second War for American Independence
The War of 1812 was similar to the Revolutionary War. Once again, the United States fought
against the British and their Native American allies. For this reason, some historians see the
conflict as a Second War for American Independence.

During the war, the British launched a failed attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore. One person
who witnessed the attack was Francis Scott Key. He wrote a poem about it called "The Star-
Spangled Banner." This became the official national anthem of the United States in 1931.
Claiming victory from several military defeats
The War of 1812 was an important turning point in the history of the United States, but it was
mostly a political and military disaster. The war was very expensive and caused great
destruction. When the British attacked Washington, D.C., they burned most of the public
buildings, including the White House. President James Madison had to flee the city. His wife,
Dolley, gathered valuable national objects and escaped with them at the last minute. It was the
low point of the war.
The War of 1812 came to an end largely because the British people had grown tired of their
long war against France. Now that France was almost defeated, the war against the United
States lost support. On December 24, 1814, the United States and Great Britain signed the
Treaty of Ghent. This brought the War of 1812 to a close.
At the start of the 1800s, much of North America was not yet part of the United States. After
the War of 1812, this began to change. The years of the new nation were a period of
enormous change, including big political changes and the rush of western expansion. America
was growing up.

Quiz
1 What was the relationship between the War of 1812 and westward expansion?
(A) The War of 1812 prevented the United States from expanding farther west.
(B) After the War of 1812, westward expansion increased in the United States.
(C) Westward expansion led to conflicts over land between the United States and
France in the War of 1812.
(D) Westward expansion caused Native Americans living on the land to attack
settlers in the War of 1812.
2 What effect did the war between Britain and France have on the War of 1812?
(A) It made the war harder for the U.S. because it was fighting two countries
overseas.
(B) It made the Native Americans unsure of which country they should side with.
(C) It caused Britain to become exhausted and sign a treaty to end fighting in the
U.S.
(D) It caused the U.S. to declare war on both countries because it was losing trade.
3 Look at the picture near the bottom of the article.
Which selection from the article is BEST illustrated by this picture?
(A) During the early 1800s, many Americans moved west into the new territory.
(B) During the war, the British launched a failed attack on Fort McHenry in
Baltimore.
(C) The war was very expensive and caused great destruction.
(D) This brought the War of 1812 to a close.
4 Look at the map.
What do the different colored sections represent?
(A) whether that area of North America was a state, a territory or belonged to
another country
(B) whether that area included states that allowed slavery or states that did not
allow slavery
(C) whether that area of the United States was fought over during the War of 1812
(D) whether that area was available for westward expansion or settled by Native
Americans

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The Expanding American Republic and

the War of 1812

America quickly expanded to the West

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 1

Tensions increase with Great Britain

The Second War for American Independence

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 2

Claiming victory from several military defeats

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 3

3 Look at the picture near the bottom of the article.

Which selection from the article is BEST illustrated by this picture?

(D) This brought the War of 1812 to a close.

4 Look at the map.

What do the diﬀerent colored sections represent?

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 4

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