The seizure of American ships, impressment of sailors, and British support of Indian resistance led to calls for war against Great Britain from “war hawks” led by [[Henry Clay]] of Kentucky and [[John C. Calhoun]] of South Carolina, who spoke angrily in Congress of British insults to American honor. Opposition to the war came from [[Federalist|Federalists]] from the Northeast, who knew war would disrupt the fishing and maritime trade on which the region’s economy depended. A potential silver lining was a proposed invasion of Canada, which was a perennial interest of many Americans. In a narrow vote, Congress authorized [[James Madison|President Madison]] to declare war against Great Britain in June 1812.  The war went very badly for the United States. In August 1812, the United States lost [[Fort Detroit|Detroit]] to the British and their Indian allies, including a force of over a thousand men led by [[Tecumseh]]. By the end of the year, the British controlled half the Northwest. The following year, however, U.S. forces scored a few victories. Captain [[Oliver Hazard Perry]] defeated British naval forces on Lake Erie. At the [[Battle of the Thames]] in Ontario, the United States defeated the British and their native allies, and Tecumseh was killed. The Indian resistance lost an important leader, which helped open the Indiana and Michigan territories for white settlement. In April 1813, American troops led by General [[Zebulon Pike]] captured and burned York (Toronto). These victories could not turn the tide of the war, however. Britain had gained the upper hand in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, allowing battle-hardened British combat troops to be diverted to fight in the United States. In July 1814, forty-five hundred British soldiers sailed up [[Chesapeake|Chesapeake Bay]] and burned Washington DC to the ground in retaliation for York. That summer, the British shelled Baltimore, but failed to dislodge American forces, whose survival of the bombardment inspired [[Francis Scott Key]] to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” ---- Next: [[10.5 - General Jackson]] Back: [[10.3 - Tecumseh]]