Sophia Larsen - War of 1812 Timeline by Sophia Larsen

1809 — Trade Restrictions

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:12:35 UTC

Congress repealed Jefferson’s Embargo Act, which restricted trade and hurt the Americans more than either Britain or France. The Non-Intercourse Act took its place, which prohibited trade with Britain and France. This eventually led to an 1810 bill that stated that if either power dropped trade restrictions against the U.S, Congress would resume non-inter course trade with the opposing power.

1811 — Fall of 1811

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:16:38 UTC

Indiana’s territorial governor William Henry Harrison led U.S. troops to victor in the Battle of Tippecanoe, convincing Native Americans in the Northwest Territory that they needed British support to prevent American settlers from pushing them further from their lands.

June 18, 1812 — War begins.

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:16:59 UTC

Under pressure from the “War Hawks” in Congress, James Madison signed a declaration of war against Britain in June of 1812. Both House and Senate were bitterly divided on the issue, with most Western and Southern congressman supporting war while most Federalists — especially New Englanders who relied heavily on trade with Britain — accused war advocates of using maritime rights as an excuse to promote expansionist agendas, thus not supporting the war.

August 16, 1812 — First United States Defeat

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:24:13 UTC

The U.S decided to immediately attack Canada, which was a British colony in 1812. They were overly optimistic about success and faced a well-manages defense coordinated by Sir Isaac Brock, a British soldier and administrator in charge in Upper Canada. The United States, however, suffered a humiliating defeat after Brock and Tecumseh’s forces chased the U.S across the Canadian border, eventually scaring the person in charge of the U.S’s Canada force into surrendering Detroit without any shots being fired.

September 1813 to August 1814 — Mixed Results for American Forces

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:33:57 UTC

Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry was able to bring the U.S. a victory in the battle of Lake Erie in September of 1813, placing the Northwest Territory under American control. Harrison was able to retake Detroit after netting America a victor in the Battle of Thames. The U.S. navy was able to obtain several victories over the Royal Navy, although the defeat of Napoleon’s armies in April of 1814 allowed Britain to fully focus on America. The British were able to raid Chesapeake Bay and capture the U.S. capital of Washington, D.C., where they preceded to burn government buildings such as the Capitol and the White House; this happened on August 24th, 1814.

September 11, 1814, to September 13, 1814 — What Inspired “The Star Spangled Banner.”

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:38:38 UTC

The Battle of Plattsburgh happened on Lake Champlain, where the American navy defeated the British fleet. Two days later, on September 13, Baltimore’s Fort McHenry withstood 25 hours of bombardment by the British Navy. When the fort’s soldiers raised an enormous American flag the following morning, Francis Scott Key became inspired to write a poem. This poem later became “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the nation’s national anthem.

December 24, 1814 — Treaty of Ghent

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:42:38 UTC

Peace talks happened in Ghent, where the United States gave up its demands to end impressment while Britain promised to leave Canada’s borders unchanged. They also promised to abandon effort to create a Native American state in the Northwest. These promises led to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, which would be ratified the following February.

January 8, 1815 — Battle of New Orleans

slars001 — 2024-11-01 12:45:30 UTC

British forces unaware that peace had been chosen mounted a major attack on the United States in the Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson’s army defeated the British forces, which boosted U.S. morale and left Americans with the taste of victory, despite pre-war objectives never being obtained. Later on in February, after this war, the Treaty of Ghent was officially ratified.