Foreign Policy and Affairs

Madison's main foreign affair was the War of 1812, which is also known as the Second War of Independence. U.S. struggled under British impressments of American sailors, the use of British spies to infiltrate U.S. government, and the encouragement of Indians in the West of the ongoing fight with the Americans. Also the War Hawks, led by Henry Clay of Kentucky, they passionately supported for war with England. All these factors urged Madison to declare war on England.

Although they called for war, America was not prepared for war with the mighty British. Some Southern states refused to fight this war. So, Madison and the Congress decided to invade British Canada. This made the Federalists oppose more of the war. The Federalists in New England got together at the Hartford Convention and discussed about the possibility to secede from the U.S.

In 1814, the British focused only to defeat America. They used their navy and blocked the American coasts to stop American shipping. This resulted the weakened U.S. economy. They also invaded Washington, D.C and burnt most of the city, including the White House.

Then, the British began to focus on the Mississippi River, where most farmers relied on. General Andrew Jackson led a group (clerks, laborers, mulatto slaves) against the British, and they surprisingly won. A peace agreement, Treaty of Ghent, was signed before the battle, but didn't reach them until the end of the war. Andrew Jackson was praised as a national hero after the war. The Battle of New Orleans resulted in nationalism and the gain of international respect.