Changes

Although he had little charisma or charm, Calhoun was a brilliant orator and strong organizer, and immediately became a leader of the "war hawks," along with Speaker [[Henry Clay]] and South Carolina congressmen William Lowndes and Langdon Cheves. They disregarded European complexities in the wars between [[Napoleon]] and Britain, and brushed aside the vehement objections of New Englanders, and demanded war against Britain to preserve American honor and republican values.<ref>Margaret Kinard Latimer, "South Carolina - a Protagonist of the War of 1812." ''American Historical Review'' 1956 61(4): 914-929. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/1848824 in Jstor] emphasizes protection of the growing cotton industry.</ref> Clay made Calhoun the acting chairman of the powerful committee on foreign affairs. On June 3, 1812, Calhoun's committee called for a declaration of war in ringing phrases. The episode spread Calhoun's fame nationwide. War—the [[War of 1812]]—was declared but it went very badly for the poorly organized Americans, whose ports were immediately blockaded by the British Royal Navy. An attempted invasion of Canada was a total fiasco.  

Although he had little charisma or charm, Calhoun was a brilliant orator and strong organizer, and immediately became a leader of the "war hawks," along with Speaker [[Henry Clay]] and South Carolina congressmen William Lowndes and Langdon Cheves. They disregarded European complexities in the wars between [[Napoleon]] and Britain, and brushed aside the vehement objections of New Englanders, and demanded war against Britain to preserve American honor and republican values.<ref>Margaret Kinard Latimer, "South Carolina - a Protagonist of the War of 1812." ''American Historical Review'' 1956 61(4): 914-929. [http://www.jstor.org/pss/1848824 in Jstor] emphasizes protection of the growing cotton industry.</ref> Clay made Calhoun the acting chairman of the powerful committee on foreign affairs. On June 3, 1812, Calhoun's committee called for a declaration of war in ringing phrases. The episode spread Calhoun's fame nationwide. War—the [[War of 1812]]—was declared but it went very badly for the poorly organized Americans, whose ports were immediately blockaded by the British Royal Navy. An attempted invasion of Canada was a total fiasco.  

Calhoun labored to raise troops, to provide funds, to speed logistics, to improve the currency, and to regulate commerce to aid the war effort. Disasters on the battlefield made him double his legislative efforts to overcome the obstructionism of [[John Randolph]] and [[Daniel Webster]] and other opponents of the war. Once Napoleon had been sent off to exile in Elba, the two nations had no further cause to fight, and peace was achieved at Ghent on Christmas, 1814. Before that news reached New Orleans, a massive British invasion force was utterly defeated at the [[Battle of New Orleans]], which made a national hero out of General [[Andrew Jackson]].  

Calhoun labored to raise troops, to provide funds, to speed [[logistics]], to improve the currency, and to regulate commerce to aid the war effort. Disasters on the battlefield made him double his legislative efforts to overcome the obstructionism of [[John Randolph]] and [[Daniel Webster]] and other opponents of the war. Once Napoleon had been sent off to exile in Elba, the two nations had no further cause to fight, and peace was achieved at Ghent on Christmas, 1814. Before that news reached New Orleans, a massive British invasion force was utterly defeated at the [[Battle of New Orleans]], which made a national hero out of General [[Andrew Jackson]].

==Secretary of War: 1817–25==

==Secretary of War: 1817–25==