In History Magazine nr.10 we start with new edition called History of Wars where we will write about different wars in World History.

The War of 1812

The War of 1812 (1812–1815) was a conflict fought between the United States and the United Kingdom and their respective allies. Historians in Britain
often see it as a minor theatre of the Napoleonic Wars; however, in the United States and Canada, it is seen as a war in its own right.



Battle of Queenston Heights 

Since the outbreak of war with Napoleonic France, Britain had enforced a naval blockade to choke off neutral trade, which the United States contested
 as illegal under international law, while the British felt the Americans presented a threat to their maritime supremacy. In order to man the blockade, Britain forcibly impressed as many as 10,000 American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy. Well-publicised impressment actions, such as the Leander Affair, and the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair, enraged the American public.



Marines Aboard USS Wasp Engage HMS Reindeer. June 1814 Painting by Sergeant John Clymer

The British were in turn outraged by the Little Belt  Affair, which resulted in the deaths of 11 British sailors. Moreover, British political support for a Native American buffer state, which conducted raids on American settlers on the frontier, hindered American expansion. On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed the American declaration of war into law.



The Battle of New Orleans      January 1815

With the majority of its military deployed in Europe to fight Napoleon, the British adopted a defensive strategy, though the wars first engagement
 was an ill-fated assault on Sackets Harbor, New York. American prosecution of the war effort suffered from its unpopularity, especially in New England,
 where it was derogatorily referred to as Mr. Madisons War. American defeats at Detroit and Queenston, thwarted attempts to seize Upper Canada, improving British morale.American attempts to invade Montreal also failed. In 1813, the Americans won control of Lake Erie and shattered Tecumsehs Confederacy, securing a primary war goal. At sea, the powerful Royal Navy blockaded the American coast, allowing them to strike American trade at will. In 1814, one of these raids burned the capital, Washington. The Americans subsequently repulsed British attempts to invade the north and mid-Atlantic states.




At home, the British faced mounting opposition to wartime taxation, and demands to reopen trade with America. With the abdication of Napoleon, the maintenance of the blockade of France and impressment of American sailors were nullified. Peace negotiations began in August, 1814, and the Treaty
of Ghent was signed on December 24 later that year. However, news of the peace would not reach America for some time. Unbeknown to the peace, the British launched an invasion of Louisiana, which was decisively defeated in January 1815. The battle was seen to have restored American honour after a mediocre war effort, and led to the collapse of anti-war sentiment.News of the treaty arrived shortly thereafter, halting military operations. The treaty was unanimously ratified by the United States on February 17, 1815, ending the war with no boundary changes.



War of 1812 - Re-enactment: Battle of Stoney Creek (Ontario)   June 2016

to be continued...