In June 1812, the U.S. House and Senate narrowly approved the first declaration of war in American history, with the House voting 79–49 and the Senate 19–13. The votes were sharply partisan—every Federalist voted no, while a quarter of Republicans also opposed or abstained—revealing deep divisions over relations with Britain.
In August 1814, British forces invaded Washington, D.C., defeated American militia at the Battle of Bladensburg, and burned the Capitol, the President’s House, and other public buildings. The capture forced President Madison to flee and marked a low point for the United States, but it also hardened American resolve and became a defining moment in the War of 1812.
Thomas Macdonough commanded the American naval squadron that defeated a British fleet on Lake Champlain on September 11, 1814, at the Battle of Plattsburgh Bay. The victory, part of the larger Battle of Plattsburgh, stopped a British invasion from Canada and helped shape the peace negotiations that ended the War of 1812.
Oliver Hazard Perry (1785–1819) was a United States Navy officer who commanded American forces at the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, securing control of the lake and enabling the subsequent American victory at the Battle of the Thames.
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, was a decisive American victory during the War of 1812, ending the last British invasion of the northern United States and influencing the Treaty of Ghent negotiations.
Casualty figures for the War of 1812 vary widely across historical sources owing to incomplete record-keeping, differing definitions of who counted as a casualty, and the political uses of numbers. This article explains the origins of these discrepancies and how historians interpret them.
The Battle of Tallushatchee, fought on November 3, 1813, in present-day Calhoun County, Alabama, was the first major American victory of the Creek War. Andrew Jackson’s subordinate John Coffee led about 900 Tennessee mounted troops in destroying the Red Stick Creek town of Tallushatchee, killing 186 residents, including women and children.
Researching a War of 1812 Navy ancestor requires navigating muster rolls, payrolls, pension files, and bounty land records, as no compiled military service records exist for U.S. Navy sailors. This guide explains the records, archives, and strategies for tracing American, British, and Canadian naval ancestors during the conflict.
The War of 1812 occupies an ambiguous place in American memory, often called the ‘forgotten conflict’ despite the enduring symbols it produced. This article traces how Americans have remembered the war, from early celebrations of a ‘Second War of Independence’ to its later eclipse by the Civil War and selective commemoration.
War of 1812 payroll records itemize compensation for American soldiers and militia members, including names, ranks, and service periods. They are essential for genealogical research and for understanding military administration during the conflict.
