Yalobusha Historical Society Minutes – Oct. 18, 2012
Margaret Hallums
Margaret Hallums of Calhoun County polished up Yalobusha Historical Society members’ memories on the War of 1812, a military conflict between the United States and the British Empire. There were several reasons the United States declared war in 1812, including trade restrictions brought about by England’s war with France, the impressment of American sailors into the English Navy, England’s support of American Indian tribes against American expansion westward, and American desire to annex Canada.
The British were tied down in Europe and used defensive strategy defeating American invasions of the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. In the Southwest, General Andrew Jackson destroyed the strength of the Creek nation at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in 1814. After the British defeated Napoleon in 1814, they adopted a more aggressive strategy, sending in three large invasion armies. The British victory at the Battle of Bladensburg in August 1814 allowed them to capture and burn Washington, D. C. The Americans defeated the British in September 1814 and January 1815 in New York, Baltimore, and New Orleans. The war was fought at sea; warships and privateers of both sides attacked each other’s ships, while the British blockaded the Atlantic coast of the U.S. and mounted large-scale raids in the later stages of the war. Both land and naval battles were fought on the American-Canadian frontier, which ran along the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River. The American South and Gulf Coast saw major land battles in which the American forces defeated Britain’s Indian allies and a British invasion force at New Orleans.
Julia Fernandez announced that the speaker for the November 15, 2012 YHS meeting is Richard Taylor, executive director of the Tunica Museums. His topic will be “The Star-Spangled Banner”.
Attending: Tom Moorman, Debby Hughes, Dave Hovey, Cliff Chandler, Julia Fernandez, Emma Hovey, Mike Worsham, Herbert Hayward, Sarah H. Williams, Hugh B. McGuire, Kay McCulley, Margaret Hallums, Carl Vick, Mae Vick, Tom Cox, Josephine Davis, Ora Mae Collins, Anna Allen, Corbin Schmitz, Margaret D. Ross, Jimmie Pinnix, Francine Pinnix, Thelma Roberts, Bettie Litten, Lawrence Litten, G. Vaughn, Dollie Smith, Melvin, Ford, Cecil Ford, Gilbert Sullivan, Harold Spraberry, James Person
