War of 1812: Causes, Timeline, Summary, and Resources
Summary of the War of 1812
The War of 1812 is sometimes called the “Second War of Independence” or the “forgotten war.” The war took placed from June 18, 1812 – Feb. 18, 1815 in Eastern and Central North America, Atlantic and Pacific. This conflict was caused mainly by the US resentment of British naval harassment. They seized American ships and took seamen from them, some who were US citizens. The British also attempted to keep US ships from reaching French ports. The war of 1812 was faught between the United States and Great Britian and resulted in the Treaty of Ghent.
Causes of the War of 1812
President James Madison argued for war against Britain and thus making The War of 1812 the first war “sold” to the American public via popular appeal. On June 1, 1812 he gave a speech to the U.S. Congress, giving several reasons for war which are listed below:
1. Ongoing impressment of American sailors into service on British Navy ships, an insulting breach of American sovereignty;
2. Britain’s navy “violating the rights and the peace of our coasts”
3. Britain’s blockade of U.S. ports
4. Britain’s refusal to repeal its Order-In-Council forbidding neutral countries to trade with European countries
5. Britain’s incitement of Native Americans to violence against the Americans.
Timeline of the War of 1812
June 18, 1812 : The conflict formally began with the American declaration of war on June 18. This was the first time that the United States
had declared war on another nation. Critics of the war in the United States referred to it as “Mr. Madison’s War.”
July 1, 1812 : United States doubles Customs Duties
July 12, 1812 : General William Hull enters Canada
July 17, 1812 : Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to the British
August 15, 1812 : Fort Dearborn massacre
August 16, 1812 : General William Hull surrenders to General Isaac Brock at Detroit
August 19, 1812 : The Constitution defeats HMS Guerrière
October 13, 1812 : General Isaac Brock is killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights
October 25, 1812 : The United States defeats HMS Macedonian
November 1812 : James Madison wins reelection
November 1812 : British blockade South Carolina and Georgia
November 23, 1812 : Americans retreat from eastern Canada
November 27, 1812 : Americans attack outlying positions at Fort Erie
December 3, 1812 : William Eustis resigns as Secretary of War
December 3, 1812 – February 5, 1813: Monroe serves as Secretary of War
December 29, 1812 : The Constitution defeats HMS Java
December 29, 1812 : Paul Hamilton resigns as Secretary of the Navy
December 26, 1812 : Great Britain proclaims blockade of Chesapeake and Delaware Bay
December 29, 1812 : Paul Hamilton resigns as Secretary of the Navy
January 12, 1813 : William Jones assumes his duties as Secretary of the Navy
January 22, 1813 : Battle of Frenchtown
January 23, 1813 : River Raisin massacre
February 5, 1813 : John Armstrong becomes Secretary of War
February 24, 1813 : The Hornet defeats HMS Peacock
March 1813 : Captain David Porter of the Essex rounds Cape Horn and sails into the Pacific to prey upon British whaling ships
March 27, 1813 : Oliver Hazard Perry arrives at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania, to assume responsibility for constructing a fleet on Lake Erie
March to December 1813 : British naval forces raid in the Chesapeake Bay area
March 30, 1813 : British blockade extended from Long Island to the Mississippi
April 15, 1813 : Americans occupy part of west Florida
April 15, 1813 : Wilkinson occupies Mobile
April 27, 1813 : Americans capture York
May 3, 1813 : British burn Havre de Grace
May 1, 1813 : and ends on May 5 Siege of Fort Meigs
May 26, 1813 : British blockade additional middle and southern states
May 27, 1813 : Americans capture Fort George
May 29, 1813 : British forces repulsed at Sackett’s Harbor
June 1, 1813 : HMS Shannon defeats the Chesapeake
June 6, 1813 : Detachment of Americans defeated at Stoney Creek
June 22, 1813 : Battle of Norfolk
June 24, 1813 : Battle of Beaver Dams
June 26, 1813 : British attack Hampton
July 27, 1813 : Battle of Burnt Corn
August 1, 1813 : Major Croghan successfully defends Fort Stephenson against British attack
August 2, 1813 : Battle of Fort Stephenson
August 4, 1813 : Admiral Perry gets his fleet over the bar at Presque Isle and into Lake Erie
August 30, 1813 : Fort Mims massacre
September 10, 1813 : Battle of Lake Erie
September 27, 1813 : Harrison lands in Canada
October 5, 1813 : Battle of the Thames
October 16-19, 1813 : Battle of Leipzig
October 25-26, 1813 : Battle of Chateaugay
November 3, 1813 : Battle of Tallushatchee
November 4, 1813 : Great Britain offers United States direct peace negotiations
November 9, 1813 : Battle of Talladega
November 11, 1813 : Battle of Chrysler’s Farm
November 16, 1813 : British extend blockade to all middle and southern states
December 10, 1813 : Fort George evacuated and Newark burned by Americans
December 18, 1813 : Fort Niagara occupied by British
December 19-31, 1813 : Lewiston, Fort Schlosser, Black Rock, and Buffalo destroyed by the British
January 22, 1814 : Battle of Emuckfau
January 24, 1814 : Battle of Enotachopco
March 27-28, 1814 : Battle of Horseshoe Bend
March 28, 1814 : HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub defeat the Essex
April 11, 1814 : Napoleon abdicates French throne
April 14, 1814 : United States repeals Embargo and Nonimportation Law
April 20, 1814 : HMS Orpheus defeats the Frolic
April 25, 1814 : May 30 British extend blockade to New England
April 29, 1814 : The Peacock defeats HMS Epervier
June 28, 1814 : The Wasp II defeats HMS Reindeer
July, 1814 : September British occupy eastern Maine
July 3, 1814 : Americans capture Fort Erie
July 5, 1814 : Battle of Chippewa
July 25, 1814 : Battle of Lundy’s Lane
August 1814 : U.S. banks suspend specie payments
August 8, 1814 : Peace negotiations begin in Ghent
August 8, 1814 : Great Britain outlines initial peace terms
August 9, 1814 : The Creeks sign a treaty at Fort Jackson ceding much of their land
August 13, 1814 : and ends September 21 Siege of Fort Erie begins
August 14, 1814 : British occupy Pensacola
August 15, 1814 : Battle of Fort Erie
August 19, 1814 : British land near Benedict, Maryland
August 24, 1814 : Battle of Bladensburg
August 24-25, 1814 : British burn Washington
August 28, 1814 : British capture Alexandria, Virginia
August 28, 1814 : Nantucket declares Neutrality
September 1, 1814 : General George Prevost moves south toward Plattsburgh
September 4, 1814 : Armstrong resigns and Monroe takes over as Secretary of War
September 11, 1814 : Battle of Plattsburgh
September 12-16, 1814 : British repulsed at Mobile
September 12-14, 1814 : Battle of North Point, near Baltimore
September13-14, 1814 : British bombard Fort McHenry, near Baltimore
September 13, 1814 : Francis Scott Key writes the Star Spangled Banner
September 14, 1814 : British abandon attempt to take Baltimore
September 17, 1814 : Americans sortie from Fort Erie
September 26, 1814 : British squadron captures General Armstrong
October 21, 1814 : Great Britain offers peace on basis of uti possidetis
November 5, 1814 : Americans evacuate Fort Erie
November 7, 1814 : Jackson seizes Pensacola
November 11, 1814 : Jackson returns to Mobile
November 22, 1814 : Jackson leaves for New Orleans
November 25, 1814 : British fleet sails from Jamaica for New Orleans
November 27, 1814 : Great Britain drops the uti possidetis
December 14, 1814 : British overwhelm American gunboats on Lake Borgne
December 15, 1814 : January 5 Hartford Convention
December 15, 1814 : February 27, 1815 United States adopts additional internal taxes
December 23, 1814 : British land their troops below New Orleans
December 23, 1814 : General Andrew Jackson attacks in a surprise night battle
December 23, 1814 : January 1 Preliminary battles around New Orleans
December 24, 1814 : The Treaty of Ghent is signed ending the War of 1812.
December 28, 1814 : United States rejects conscription proposal
January 8, 1815 : Americans defeat British in the Battle of New Orleans
February 4, 1815 : United States adopts second enemy trade law
February 17, 1815 : United States rejects National Bank proposal
February 17, 1815 : Ratifications of the Peace Treaty exchanged and President James Madison declares the war at an end
Commanders in the War of 1812
United States
James Madison
Henry Dearborn
Jacob Brown
Winfield Scott
Andrew Jackson
William Henry Harrison
William Hull
United Kingdom
Lord Liverpool
George Prévost
Isaac Brock
Roger Hale Sheaffe
Gordon Drummond
Robert Ross
Edward Pakenham
Charles de Salaberry
How Many People Died in the War of 1812
United States
2,260 killed in action
4,505 wounded
17,000 (est.) died from disease
United Kingdom
1,600 killed in action
3,679 wounded
3,321 died from disease
List of Battles of the War of 1812
The Battle of Tippecanoe 1811
President vs. Belvidera
The Battles for Michilimackinac Island & Fort Dearborn
Raid on Gananoque
The Battle of Brownstown
The Battle of Maguaga
The Battle of Detroit
Constitution vs. Guerriere
The Battle of Queenston Heights
U.S.S. United States captures H.M.S. Macedonian
The Battle of Lacolle Mills
The Caledonia and the Detroit
Wasp vs Frolic
Search and Destroy Mission against the Tribes
The Battle of Frenchman’s Creek
The Battle of Raison River or Frenchtown
The Battle of Ogdensburg
The Seige of Fort Meigs
The Battle of Fort Stephenson
The Capture of Fort George
Skirmish at Butler’s Farm
Chesapeake vs. Shannon
The Battle of Stoney Creek
Battle of Forty Mile Creek
The Battle of Craney Island
The Battle of Beaverdams
Argus vs. Pelican
The “Hamilton” and the “Scourge”
The Capture of the “Julia” and the “Growler”
Enterprise vs. Boxer
The Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of the Thames
The Battle of Sackets Harbour
The Burlington Races
The Battle of Chateauguay
Action at French Creek
The Battle of Crysler’s Farm
The Burning of Newark
The Capture of Fort Niagara
The Burning of Buffalo
The Battle of Lacolle Mills
The Raid on Fort Oswego
The Battle of Sandy Creek
The Raids into Western Upper Canada
The Battle of Longwoods
The Capture of Fort Erie
The Battle of Chippawa
The Burning of St. David’s
The Battle of Prairie du Chien
The Battle of Lundy’s Lane
The Battle of Fort Mackinac
The Battle on the Nottawasaga
Capture of the Somers and Ohio
The Battle of Bladensburg
The Battle of Washington D.C.
The Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Lake Champlain
The Seige at Fort Erie
The Capitulation of Maine
The Battle of Cook’s Mills
The Battle of New Orleans
The Surrender of Fort Boyer
Capture of the U.S.S. President
The Green Tiger & the Bloody Boys
104th Regiment
Timelines of Wars
Timeline of the Revolutionary War
French Revolution Timeline
Timeline of the Korean War
Timeline of the Civil War
Timeline of the Mexican American War
Timeline of the Vietnam War 1945-1960
Timeline of the Vietnam War 1961-1964
Timeline of the Vietnam War 1965-1968
Timeline of the Vietnam War 1969-1975
Timeline of WW1
Timeline of WW2
Timeline of the Iraq War
Resources about the War of 1812
Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812.
The original Star-Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the song that would become our national anthem, is among the most treasured artifacts in the collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Information from the Smithsonian about the War of 1812
Digital History of the War of 1812
Military Resources: War of 1812
Teaching lesson plans about the War of 1812
I am a mom of 2 boys who loves to spend time with them doing fun things outdoors. In my spare time I have my own things I enjoy doing such as gardening, reading old books, and being a closet history buff.
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