War of 1812 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The War of 1812 was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the United States. It lasted from 1812 to 1815. The fighting happened on land in North America and at sea. British forces were helped by Canadian volunteers (called militia) and Native Americans. This was because many British soldiers were busy fighting Napoleon in Europe. In most battles, the British successfully stopped American attacks. The war made people in both Canada and the United States feel more patriotic.

One main reason the United States declared war was that the British were bothering American ships. They were also forcing American sailors to join the British Navy. This was called Impressment. The British were also supporting Native American groups in the west. This was to stop the United States from growing westward. About 10,000 Native Americans fought with the British for this reason.

At the same time, Napoleon I, the Emperor of France, started a huge French invasion of Russia in 1812. This happened just as the United States and Britain began the War of 1812.

Key Events of the War
- Important Moments in 1812
The End of the War
Who Won the War?
Images for kids
See also

Key Events of the War

Fighting started when the United States attacked Canadian provinces in 1812. But the British and Canadians successfully defended their borders. In 1813, British and American ships fought in the Battle of Lake Erie. Americans, led by Oliver Hazard Perry, won this battle. This gave America control of Lake Erie. American forces also attacked and burned Toronto, which was called York back then.

In 1814, Napoleon gave up his French throne. This meant experienced British troops could be sent to North America. They burned parts of Washington, D.C. and also attacked Baltimore. During the battle in Baltimore, an American lawyer named Francis Scott Key wrote a poem. This poem later became the words for the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". The last major battle of the war happened in January 1815. The British attacked New Orleans but were defeated by Americans led by General Andrew Jackson. Both sides did not know that a peace treaty had already been signed when the Battle of New Orleans took place.

Important Moments in 1812

On July 17, 1812, British troops, French volunteers, and Native Americans captured Fort Mackinac. This was in the Michigan territory. This victory brought more Native American support.
In August 1812, the British and their allies surrounded Detroit. The American commander, William Hull, surrendered Detroit. Many American soldiers were taken prisoner.
On August 19, 1812, the American ship USS Constitution fought the British ship HMS Guerriere. The Constitution won this battle.
On October 13, 1812, British defenders fought American forces in the Battle of Queenston Heights. The British commander, Isaac Brock, died in this battle.

The End of the War

The two countries signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, in Belgium. This treaty was meant to end the war. However, fighting continued into January 1815. This was because the soldiers did not know about the treaty yet. But no big changes happened after the treaty. The British stopped forcing American sailors into their navy. This was because the Napoleonic Wars in Europe had ended. Most Americans heard about the victory in the Battle of New Orleans before they heard about the peace treaty. The Federalist Party, which had been against the war, lost popularity and disappeared.

Who Won the War?

From the British point of view, the War of 1812 was a small conflict. They were more focused on fighting Napoleon. Americans called it their victorious "Second War for Independence." The British saw it as Americans trying to take advantage of them being busy in Europe.

In Canada, the War of 1812 was not wanted. It seemed to be about decisions made far away in Washington D.C. and London. In Lower Canada (now Quebec), people saw it as a war between English-speaking groups. They did not love the British, but the British had promised them the right to speak French. If the Americans took over, they did not know what would happen. So, they supported the British. Upper Canada (later part of Ontario) was settled by Americans who had stayed loyal to Britain after the American Revolution. They did not like their former countrymen in the US. When Americans tried to invade Canada, the Canadian militias were eager to defend their homeland.

In US history, the War of 1812 is not as well-known as other wars. Most Americans remember little about it. Some might remember "The Star-Spangled Banner", the Burning of Washington, or the Battle of New Orleans. But it is often misunderstood. Most experts agree the war was fought over issues at sea. Since the British Navy was the strongest in the world, it was easier for Americans to attack them on land by invading Canada. Former President Thomas Jefferson thought taking Canada would be very easy.

British people who knew about this war felt they won. Canadians felt they won because they kept Canada. Americans felt they won because they did not lose any land. They also pushed back the British invasion of Maryland. They were free to fight Native Americans without British help. And British impressment of sailors stopped.

Images for kids

Americans believed that British officers paid their indigenous allies to scalp American soldiers, c. 1812.
A map of the Canadas from 1812. It has been disputed whether or not the American desire to annex Canada brought on the war.
Loyalists landing in New Brunswick. Loyalists settlers to the Canadas were Revolution-era exiles and hostile to union with the United States whereas newer immigrants to the Canadas were neutral or supportive of the British.
Peter B. Porter and many Democratic-Republican congressmen sought to "oust the British from the continent" and "annex Canada"
James Madison, the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817). Madison was the leader of the Democratic-Republican Party, whose power base came from southern and western states.
Depiction of a British private (left) and officer (right) of the period
Governor General George Prévost was urged to maintain a defensive strategy as British forces were already preoccupied with the Napoleonic Wars.
The American surrender of Detroit after the British besieged the fort in August 1812
The Niagara Peninsula during the War of 1812
Laura Secord providing advance warning to James FitzGibbon, which led to a British-Iroquois victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams, June 1813
In October 1813, a Canadian-Mohawks force repelled an American attempt to take Montreal at the Chateauguay River
British forces attempted to storm Fort Erie on 14 August 1814, but they were repelled by its American defenders.
Prévost's defeat at Plattsburgh led him to call off the invasion of New York.
The Royal Navy's North American squadron was based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At the start of the war, the squadron had one ship of the line, seven frigates, nine sloops as well as brigs and schooners.
The Battle of Valparaíso ended the American naval threat to British interests in the south Pacific Ocean.
The capture of USS President was the last naval duel to take place during the conflict, with its combatants unaware of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent several weeks prior.
Baltimore Clippers were a series of schooners used by American privateers during the war.
A map of the American coastline. British naval strategy was to protect their shipping in North America and enforce a naval blockade on the United States.
Following their victory at the Battle of Bladensburg, the British entered Washington, D.C., burning down buildings, including the White House.
An artist's rendering of the bombardment at Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. Watching the bombardment from a truce ship, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the four-stanza poem that later became "The Star-Spangled Banner".
Major-General Robert Ross
Creek forces were defeated at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, bringing an end to the Creek War.
The destruction of Fort Barrancas by the British as they withdraw from Pensacola, November 1814
A political caricature of delegates from the Hartford Convention deciding whether to leap into the hands of the British, December 1814. The convention led to widespread fears that the New England states might attempt to secede from the United States.
Depiction of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent, which formally ended the war between the British Empire and the United States
United States per capita GDP 1810–1815 in constant 2009 dollars
The Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda
Fort Henry at Kingston in 1836. Built from 1832 to 1836, the fort was one of several works undertaken to improve the colonies' defences.
Map showing the general distribution of Native American tribes in the Northwest Territory in the early 1790s
Independence Day celebrations in 1819. In the United States, the war was followed by the Era of Good Feelings, a period that saw nationalism and a desire for national unity rise throughout the country.
William Weatherford surrendering to Andrew Jackson at the end of the Creek War. The peace imposed on the Creek saw them cede half of their territory to the United States.