List of naval battles of the War of 1812 facts for kids

The War of 1812 was a conflict between the United States and Great Britain, lasting from 1812 to 1815. Many important battles took place on the water, both at sea and on large lakes. These naval fights were very important because they helped decide who controlled the waterways. Controlling the water was key for moving troops and supplies, and for protecting trade. This list shows some of the most important naval battles from that time.

Who Fought in These Battles?

These are the main groups that took part in the naval battles during the War of 1812:

• United States Navy: This was America's main fighting force on the water.
• United States Marine Corps: These were soldiers who fought on ships and on land, often working closely with the Navy.
• Revenue-Marine: This was an early version of the U.S. Coast Guard. They protected America's coasts and helped collect taxes on goods.
• Royal Navy: This was Great Britain's powerful navy, which was one of the strongest in the world at that time.
• Royal Marines: These were British soldiers who served on Royal Navy ships.
• Provincial Marine: This was a smaller naval force from British North America, which is now Canada.

Key Naval Battles of the War of 1812

Here is a list of some of the important naval battles that happened during the War of 1812:

• First Battle of Sackett's Harbor – July 19, 1812
• USS Essex vs HMS Alert – August 13, 1812
• USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere – August 19, 1812
• Capture of HMS Frolic – October 18, 1812
• Action off Madeira – October 25, 1812
• Action off Kingston – November 6, 1812
• Action off Brazil – December 29, 1812
• Action in the Demerara River – February 24, 1813
• Battle of Rappahannock River – April 3, 1813
• Battle of York – April 27, 1813
• Battle of Fort George – May 25–27, 1813
• Action off James Island – May 28, 1813
• Second Battle of Sackett's Harbor – May 28–29, 1813
• Battle of Boston Harbor – June 1, 1813
• Action off Charles Island – July 14, 1813
• Action off Bermuda – August 5, 1813
• Action off the Niagara – August 10, 1813
• Action off St. David's Head – August 14, 1813
• Action off Pemaquid Point – September 5, 1813
• Battle of Lake Erie – September 10, 1813
• Action off the Geneses – September 11, 1813
• "Burlington Races" – September 28, 1813
• Battle of Valparaiso – March 28, 1814
• Action in the Straits of Florida – April 20, 1814
• Action off Cape Canaveral – April 28, 1814
• Battle of Fort Oswego (1814) – May 6, 1814
• Battle of Big Sandy Creek – May 29–30, 1814
• Sinking of HMS Reindeer – June 28, 1814
• Action at Nottawasaga – August 14, 1814
• Sinking of HMS Avon – September 1, 1814
• Capture of the Scorpion and Tigress – September 2–6, 1814
• Battle of Plattsburgh – September 11, 1814
• Battle of Baltimore – September 12–15, 1814
• First Battle of Fort Bowyer – September 14–16, 1814
• Battle of Fayal – September 26–27, 1814
• Action off the Bay of St. Louis – December 13, 1814
• Battle of Lake Borgne – December 14, 1814
• Siege of Fort St. Philip (1815) – January 9–18, 1815
• Battle of Fort Peter – January 13–14, 1815
• Action off New York – January 15, 1815
• Action in the Mid-Atlantic – February 20, 1815
• Action off Tristan da Cunha – March 23, 1815
• Capture of East India Company ship Nautilus – June 30, 1815