The War of 1812

The War of 1812

The War of 1812
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 3 to 5
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	4.3

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		commander, invaders, treaty, warning, rushed, attack, loss, defend, supplies, peace, early, longer, against, chief, capital, previous
	content words:		United States, General Isaac Brock, General Hull, General Brock, First Nations, Chief Tecumseh, Lake Erie, Fort Erie, Another American, Queenston Heights

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The War of 1812
By Mary Lynn Bushong

¹     Wars are started for many reasons. In the early 1800's some Americans were unhappy with the British. They thought Canada should be part of the United States. The British took sailors off American ships. They even seized ships because they were trading with the French. It had to stop.

²     The British were at war with France. The Americans thought the British could not fight France and the U.S. at the same time. They thought it would be easy to win that war.

³     The men in Washington, D.C. did not plan very well. Their army was small. It was not well trained.

⁴     The commander in Canada was General Isaac Brock. He was a good leader. When an American general invaded near Detroit, Brock made a plan. He knew General Hull was afraid of the native people. He made Hull think that an army of warriors was going to Detroit. The man was so afraid, he rushed back home.

⁵     General Brock had the help of many First Nations people. Chief Tecumseh did not like the Americans. He was glad to fight them around Lake Erie.

⁶     After General Hull left Canada, General Brock hurried to Fort Erie. Another American general was trying to invade there. During the Battle of Queenston Heights, British General Brock was killed. His men fought very hard. They sent the Americans back to their side of the border.

⁷     Brock's death was a sad loss. There were not any other British leaders as good as he was in the colony.

⁸     One more attack was planned in 1812. American General Dearborn wanted to attack Montreal. He did not get far. His men were not willing to attack the Canadians on their own land. The French Canadians and native people were glad to defend their land.

⁹     The American leaders had a problem. They thought the people of Canada would be sick of British rule. They thought Canadians would help them fight. They were very wrong.

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