Students should be able to identify the proper use of the following vocabulary words:
Port: a city on the coast that ships can load and unload
Impressment: forcing sailors to join the British navy
Merchant Ships: ships that transport cargo
Treaty: a formal agreement between two countries
Seize: to take something forcefully
Navy: the section of the military that protects and fights on the sea.
Privateers: private sailors that are paid to attack and rob enemy ships
Truce: an agreement to both stop fighting without a winner
Surrender: to give up fighting and let the other team win
Navigator: someone who knows land well and is good at finding places
Represent: to officially speak or act for another person or group of people
Patience: the virtue of being able to wait a long time without getting angry or upset
Looming: when something bad is going to happen
Inspired: when something makes you want to try something yourself
Astonished: amazement
Students should be able to recognize the significance of the following terms and people:
James Madison: The 4th President of the US, a founding Father, and the Father of the Constitution. Although he did not initially want to go to war with the British, he was the President that officially waged war against the British, starting the War of 1812.
Dolley Madison: the wife of former President James Madison, she was the first woman to be called the "First Lady". She helped save important pieces of history before the burning of the White House.
Francis Scott Key: witnessed the attacks on Baltimore and was inspired to write the "Star Spangled Banner" which later became the US National Anthem
Andrew Jackson: A Colonel in the US Army that was in charge of the American soldiers in the Battle of New Orleans. He brought together the ragtag army and built defensive entrenchments around the city.
The White House: Where the President lives and worked; it was burned down during the War of 1812.
USS Constitution: Nicknamed "Old Ironsides" because the hull was so thick that British cannonballs just bounced off the sides.
New Orleans: this is where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. It is an important trading port which is why the British attacked in order to control it.
Students will briefly explain in writing the following topics (one to two sentences):
What is impressement?
Why did the British want to control New Orleans?
What was the most interesting thing you learned about the War of 1812?
You can select "play solo" and it will give you the options for flashcards or trivia-style game.