#warof1812

14 Key Battles of the War of 1812

The War of 1812 remains one of the most obscure major conflicts in US history, often overshadowed by the monumentous events that came before and after. Indeed, when it is remembered at all, it is often as a minor spat between the United States and the United Kingdom that ended with the burning of the White House and the victory of Andrew Jackson at New Orleans.

The war, however, was much more than that. It marked a new milestone for the US as an independent nation, proving that it could still hold its own against the military might of Britain. It was also a pivotal moment for Canada, whose staunch opposition to multiple US invasions led to the formation of a Canadian national identity for the first time. And, of course, it was a watershed moment for the many Native American nations of the northwest, who rose up in resistance to US encroachment only to be abandoned by their British allies and crushed under the weight of US imperialism. As one historian said, it is difficult to say who won the War of 1812, but it is only too clear that the Native Americans lost it.

This collection explores 14 of the key battles that made up the War of 1812. Together, they create a narrative detailing one of the formative events in the young history of the United States, one that, despite all odds, continues to resonate today.

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Lantern Slide of the U.S. Capitol after burning by the British in 1814, NARA ID 183514856.

The Taking of the City of Washington 1814. Copy of engraving. NARA 532909.

Ruins of the Capitol After the Fire. 1814. Copy of print, NARA ID 518221.

"Capture of the City of Washington," August 1814. Engraving from The History of England by Paul de Rapin -Thoyras. NARA ID 531090.

FLASHBACK: BURNING OF THE CAPITOL, 1814

By Miriam Kleiman, Program Director for Public Affairs.

On August 24 and 25, 1814, British troops occupied DC, and burned the Capitol, the President’s house, and other public buildings (in revenge for U.S. troops burning government buildings in Canada during the Battle of York). Despite the growing number of troops and show of force, President James Madison’s Secretary of War John Armstrong downplayed the possibility of such an attack in DC, convinced that Baltimore would be the likely target: “They certainly will not come here. What the devil will they do here? No! No! Baltimore is the place, sir. That is of so much more consequence.” 

The destruction was so extensive (an estimated $30 million then, equivalent to $586 million today) that when Congress returned in September 1814 it considered moving to another city. What saved DC from further destruction? What insurance companies call an “act of God”; a freak storm brought torrential rains that extinguished the fires. British account from George Muller’s The Darkest Day:

Of the prodigious force of the wind it is impossible for you to form any conception. Roofs of houses were torn off by it, and whisked into the air like sheets of paper; while the rain which accompanied it resembled the rushing of a mighty cataract rather than the dropping of a shower.

The darkness was as great as if the sun had long set and the last remains of twilight had come on, occasionally relieved by flashes of vivid lightning streaming through it; which, together with the noise of the wind and the thunder, the crash of falling buildings, and the tearing of roofs as they were stript from the walls, produced the most appalling effect I ever have, and probably ever shall, witness.

This lasted for nearly two hours without intermission, during which time many of the houses spared by us were blown down and thirty of our men, besides several of the inhabitants, buried beneath their ruins.

Our column was as completely dispersed as if it had received a total defeat, some of the men flying for shelter behind walls and buildings and others falling flat upon the ground to prevent themselves from being carried away by the tempest…

See also:

P.S.: You Had Better Remove the Records: Early Federal Archives and the Burning of Washington during the War of 1812, Prologue story by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.

Rescue of the Papers of State During the Burning of Washington, White House Historical Association, by NARA Historian Jessie Kratz.

War of 1812 Heroes Monument-Lewiston NY On a cold December morning in 1813, the citizens of Lewiston awoke to an attack by the British-Canadian soldiers who had invaded America and taken Fort Niagara during the night. Heroes monument Lewiston NY-Artist Susan Geissler Tuscarora Heroes Monunment Bronze Sculpture-Lewiston NY A dedication was written on the monument: “In honor of the brave…

Part 2 Mississinewa Battle of 1812 Reenactment