Learn the step-by-step methods for locating ancestors who served in the War of 1812, covering U.S., British, Canadian, and Indigenous service records, pension files, bounty land warrants, and the key archives and online databases.
This article explains the equipment, organization, and tactical employment of artillery by American and British forces during the War of 1812, including field guns, howitzers, siege pieces, and rockets, and assesses their impact on key battles and the war’s outcome.
The Federalist Party, after 1815, collapsed due to its opposition to the War of 1812, the controversial Hartford Convention, and the perception of disloyalty. This article examines the causes, events, and consequences of that decline, which ended the first party system and led to the Era of Good Feelings.
The Treaty of Ghent, signed on December 24, 1814, ended the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain. It restored pre-war boundaries without addressing impressment or neutral rights, setting the stage for a lasting peace and shaping North American borders.
After the Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812, the United States experienced a surge of national unity and pride. This ‘Era of Good Feelings’ saw new federal projects, cultural nationalism, and a shift away from partisan divisions, though it also masked growing sectional tensions.
Fort Erie, a British post on the Niagara River, was captured by American forces in July 1814, became the focus of a prolonged siege, and was destroyed on evacuation in November 1814. The fort’s defense and eventual abandonment marked the end of the last major American invasion of Upper Canada.
The Battle of Bladensburg, fought on August 24, 1814, was a British victory that cleared the way for the capture and burning of Washington, D.C., the only time a foreign force occupied the United States capital.
The Niagara Campaign of 1812 was the initial series of military operations along the Niagara frontier during the War of 1812, culminating in the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812. The campaign exposed the weaknesses of the American invasion strategy and resulted in a British victory at the cost of Major General Isaac Brock’s life.
During the War of 1812, ‘Canada’ referred to the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada and other British North American possessions, not an independent nation. The colonies were a primary American target, and the war helped forge a distinct Canadian identity.
In September 1813, Oliver Hazard Perry commanded an American squadron on Lake Erie, defeated the British fleet under Robert Barclay, and secured control of the lake for the United States. His victory forced the British to abandon Detroit and led directly to the Battle of the Thames.
