1. Won the Battle of Lake Erie - Oliver Hazard Perry
On Sept.10, 1813, Perry earned the title "Hero of Lake Erie" after leading American forces and having won a decisive naval battle in the Lake Erie, against British forces. The battle was one of the many fought during the War of 1812.
2. Won the Battle of Lake Champlain - Thomas MacDonough
On Sept. 11, 1814, MacDonough led a 14-ship fleet to Plattsburg, N.Y., which was being threatened by Britain ground forces. The U.S. won, forcing the 16-vessel squadron of Britain to surrender. New York and Vermont were saved from invasion.
3. War Hawks - John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay
The War Hawks consisted of young members of the Twelfth's U.S. Congress (1811-1813) who were against British influence among Native Americans and supported U.S.'s expansionism.
Clay of Kentucky, leader of Western War Hawks, called for war against England and suggested to invade Canada. Calhoun of South Carolina, leading the Southern War Hawks, saw Texas and Florida as possible targets for U.S.'s expansionism.
4. Witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry - Francis Scott Key
During the War of 1812, Key witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Maryland in 1814 and the triumphant American flag above the fort once the battle was over. Such event inspired him to write "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem that later on was adapted to the tune of the song "To Anacreon in Heaven". And after some modifications it became the official American anthem in the 1930s.
5. First to declare act of Congress unconstitutional - John Marshall
In the Marbury v. Madison case (1803), Justice Marshall became the first to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional. Congress had given the S. Court the power to issue an order granting William Marbury his commission. However, Marshall held that only the Constitution could do so, and it was the S. Court the accountable for judicial review, that is to say, the right to review acts of Congress and the President. If the Court found that a law was unconstitutional, it could overrule the law.
6. President Jefferson's Secretary of State - James Madison
Madison served as Jefferson's Secretary of State from 1801 to 1809. One of his remarkable achievements in this role was the supervision of the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the nation's size.
7. Sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States - Napoleon
In 1803, the French leader Napoleon sold the Louisana Territory (approximately 827,000 square miles of land) to the U.S. for $15 million.
8. Explored the Louisiana Territory and points west - Lewis and Clark
In 1804, President Jefferson tasked Lewis with exploring lands west of the Mississippi River, a part of Louisiana Purchase. Clark was the co-leader for the mission. The excursion, an approximately 8,000-mile journey over two years, provided new geographic, ecological and social information about North America.
9. President Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury - Albert Gallatin
Gallatin's mastery of public finance made him earn the position of Jefferson's Secretary of the Treasury in 1801 and continued under President James Madison until 1814.
10. A Federalist judge who wanted his commission granted - William Marbury
A few months before John Adam ended his term, he persuaded Congress to pass a new law, the Judiciary Act of 1801, which gave the court the power to appoint new federal judges. His intention was to fill the court with people who would oppose the policies of the incoming Republican administration, led by Thomas Jefferson. Adams accomplished to appoint some 39 new judges, however, three commissions couldn't be delivered to three new justices, for lack of time. One of the commissions was meant to Marbury. Therefore he presented himself in the Supreme Court demanding such commission.
11. Won the Battle of New Orleans - Andrew Jackson
On January 8, 1815, General Jackson led American forces to victory against the British army invasion, even though the latter outnumbered American.
12. Bought an empire instead of a city - Monroe and Livingston
On April 12, 1803, James Monroe joined Livingston in Paris as minister extraordinary, as Jefferson commanded. Their purpose in France was to negotiate the acquisition of New Orleans and all or part of the Florida, or just New Orleans, and if France didn't accept it eighter then, at least, they had to secure U.S. access to the Mississippi and the port.
However, at the time France was going through a critical economic situation and doubted Louisiana's worth. Monroe and Livingston immediately entered into negotiations and on April 30, the purchase of the Louisiana territory was agreed for $15 million, even though they had been allocated only $10 million.
The purchase of Louisiana territory doubled the size of the U.S., this way Monroe and Livingston had negotiated to buy an empire instead of a city.
