After the War of 1812

Map of the United States Including Western Territories (1791).

Photo courtesy of the Records of the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Why the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal?

After the War of 1812, there was a strong desire to connect the Chesapeake Bay tributary—the Potomac River—to the Ohio River for access to the sought-after agricultural commodities and wealth in the West. Although the C&O Canal did not finish construction and reach the Ohio River, the aim to make it to the West motivated the "Great National Project" to break ground July 4, 1828.

The map (above) was ordered by President James K. Polk to accompany his annual message to Congress in December 1848. It represents Polk’s ideas on how to divide up the new territory and eventually became the starting point of debates in Congress over slavery and westward expansion. The desire to expand west was the primary goal for the owners of the C&O Canal Company.

Reference
Map of the United States Including Western Territories; 12/1848; (HR29A-B1); General Records, 1791 - 2010; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, Record Group 233; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/western-territories-map, November 2, 2021]

 

More about the War of 1812

More Resources

Learn even more about the War of 1812, the years following, and Westward Expansion in the following links:

• National Park Service | The War and Westward Expansion
• Office of the Historian | The War of 1812-1815
• Smithsonian National Museum of American History (NMAH) | The War of 1812
• Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) | The War of 1812
• USS Constitution Museum | War of 1812 Overview
• American Battlefield Trust | Outcomes of the War of 1812

Let's Think

Visit any of the resources above. Read the text, view the pictures, and play video clips. Think about what you learned, think, and discuss the following questions:

1. What's something new that you learned?
2. What was the most surprising fact that you learned?
3. What was a key event during the War of 1812?
4. Name an outcome of the War of 1812?

 

This uniform was worn by a United States solider during the War of 1812.

Photo courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum

Soldier's Uniform

United States War of 1812 uniform. This uniform was worn by a United States solider during the War of 1812. It is currently at the Louisiana State Museum.

Reference
Louisiana State Museum, “United States War of 1812 uniform,” HST 325 - U.S. Foreign Relations to 1914 (MSU), accessed November 9, 2021, http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/
usforeignrelations/items/show/371.

 

This was a common weapon for British field artillery during the War of 1812.

Photo courtesy of the Government of Canada

British Field Artillary

During the War of 1812, the British used multiple different pieces of artillary. One of the most common was the cannon.

Reference
Government of Canada, “British field artillary,” HST 325 - U.S. Foreign Relations to 1914 (MSU), accessed November 9, 2021, http://projects.leadr.msu.edu/
usforeignrelations/items/show/343.