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Fought between the warriors from Tecumseh's confederacy, led by his brother Tenskwatawa against Americans near Lake Tippecanoe. American troops managed to quell the Indigenous rebellion .This battle is not "officially" a battle in the War, as it precedes any declaration of war. Yet, this battle is one of the precipitating causes of war, leading to convening of a War congress. [1]
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The American Congress passes An Act Declaring War between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Dependencies Thereof and the United States of America and Their Territories. Thus, the war formally begins. [2]
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General William Hull surrenders to General Isaac Brock at the Battle of Fort Detroit. Almost no casualties were suffered by either side, as Hull surrendered quickly when threatened with the prospect of fighting Tecumseh's Indigenous warriors. This was Brock's first major win in the War.
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A British victory. In spite of this, General Isaac Brock is killed in the attack, dying before learning that he had been knighted for his success at the Battle of Detroit. Americans are defeated by superior planning by the British, as well as supply shortages. [3]
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The bloodiest conflict fought on Michigan's soil. A victory for the British-Indigenous alliance. Many prisoners were killed the day after the battle, in what is known as the River Raisin Massacre. Prisoners were forced to march to Fort Malden. Those who could not keep up were killed.
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A decisive American victory. On capturing the city of York, the Americans went about looting homes and gathering supplies. Their pillage complete, they burnt the Upper Canada capital down.
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An American victory, the British abandoned the siege after two weeks. One of the deadliest conflicts in the War, nearly 600 American troops were killed or captured.
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A British victory. Information about an incipient American attack was delivered to the British by Laura Secord, who walked 20 kilometres from Queenston to inform the British. [5]
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One of the most significant naval victories of the war for the Americans. Their victory ensured American domination of Lake Erie, which would later allow them to retake Detroit and overwhelm Tecumseh's confederacy at the Battle of the Thames.
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British troops, under the command of General Procter retreated, leaving Tecumseh and his warriors to finish the battle of the Thames. Tecumseh was killed in the fighting and this would lead to the fragmentation of the confederacy he had built.
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An unprecedented British victory. The American force outnumbered the British nearly ten to one, yet the British prevailed. British victory cause the Americans to abandon the Saint Lawrence Campaign, which aimed at capturing Montreal.
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One of the bloodiest engagements of the war, with nearly 1800 mean wounded or killed. The Battle was a long term victory for the British, as the Americans in the peninsula were now outnumbered. This effectively ended the American occupation of the Peninsula. [9]
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The longest engagement between the British and the Americans, the Siege ended with an American victory and the withdrawal of British troops. The Americans would later abandon the Fort in November, at the prospect of Winter's onset. They demolished it in order to keep the British from using it as a strategic outpost.
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After defeating the Americans at the Battle of Bladensburg, British troops pushed southeast until they reached Washington. They burned the White House and the Capitol, while President Madison fled to Maryland. This was the first and only time in American history that the capital was successfully invaded and occupied.
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The end to the last British invasion into the northern states, the battle was a major American victory in the north. Victory in this battle secured America's northern border. As a result of this, British invasions into America ceased.
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The battle at which Francis Key Scott wrote what would become the National Anthem, "Defence of Fort M'Henry." The lyrics Scott penned would eventually be put to music and become "The Star Spangled Banner." The battle was a victory for the Americans, leading to British withdrawal from the Eastern seaboard to regroup and lead a final attack at the Battle of New Orleans.
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The treaty, signed in the Dutch city of Ghent, formally ends the war between America and Britain. Neither achieved major strategic goals, and borders returned to their prewar state.
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Though the Treaty of Ghent was signed three weeks prior, it took a month for news of the war's end to reach the Americas. During this time, the Battle of New Orleans was fought, leading to American victory in the last battle of the war.
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[1] Evan Andrews, "How the Battle of Tippecanoe Helped Win the White House." The history Channel, 7 November 2016, http://www.history.com/news/how-the-battle-of-tippecanoe-helped-win-the-white-house
[2] “An Act Declaring War Between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Dependencies Thereof and the United States of America and Their Territories”, The Avalon Project, Accessed 29 January 2018, http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/1812-01.asp -
[3] Kenneth Kidd, “War of 1812: Battle of Queenston Heights a Key Event in Canadian History,” The Toronto Star, (Toronto, ON), 12 October 2012, https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2012/10/12/war_of_1812_battle_of_queenston_heights_a_key_event_in_canadian_history.html
[4] Carl Benn, “A Brief History of Fort York,” The Friends of Fort York, Accessed 1 February 2018, https://www.fortyork.ca/history-of-fort-york.html -
[5] Ed Butts,“War of 1812: Laura Secord’s brave walk in the woods” The Toronto Star, (Toronto, ON), 23 June 2013, https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/06/23/war_of_1812_laura_secords_brave_walk_in_the_woods.html
[6] “The Battle of Lake Erie, War of 1812,” Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial, Last Updated 10 April 2015, https://www.nps.gov/pevi/learn/historyculture/battle_erie_detail.htm -
[7] “Battle of Moraviantown, 1813 (Battle of the Thames),” Canadian Heritage Trust, Accessed 31 January 2018, http://www.heritagetrust.on.ca/en/index.php/plaques/battle-of-moraviantown-1813-battle-of-thames
[8] Robert Smol, “The November 11 battle that saved Canada,” CBC News, 9 November 2009, http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/the-november-11-battle-that-saved-canada-1.818344 -
[9] “Battle of Lundy’s Lane 200th Anniversary – Bloodiest of the War of 1812,” National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, 18 July 2014, http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/news/article.page?doc=battle-of-lundy-s-lane-200th-anniversary-bloodiest-of-the-war-of-1812/hxqehdhs
[10] “Battle of Bladensburg,” University of Maryland Libraries, Accessed 31 Januay 2018, https://www.lib.umd.edu/bladensburg/reputation-ruined/battle-of-bladensburg -
[11] he Treaty of Ghent.” PBS. Accessed 1 February 2018. http://www.pbs.org/wned/war-of-1812/essays/treaty-ghent/
[12] James Laxer, “James Laxer on the capture of Detroit: The forgotten battle of the 1812 war,” The National Post, 16 August 2012, http://nationalpost.com/opinion/james-laxer-on-the-capture-of-detroit-the-forgotten-battle-of-the-1812-war
[13] “The Battle of Frenchtown.” River Raisin Battlefield. Accessed 31 Janurary 2018. http://www.riverraisinbattlefield.org/the_battles.htm -
[14] “A History of Fort Meigs,” Fort Meigs: Ohio’s War of 1812 Battlefield, Accessed 1 February 2018, http://www.fortmeigs.org/history/
[15] “The War of 1812: Niagara Frontier and York,” Archives of Ontario, Accessed 30 January 2018, http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/1812/niagara-1814.aspx
[16] Raymond K. Bluhm, “Battle of Plattsburgh,” Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7 December 2017, https://www.britannica.com/event/Battle-of-Plattsburgh -
[17] “The Battle for Baltimore,” National Parks Service, 26 February 2015, https://www.nps.gov/stsp/learn/historyculture/battlebaltimore.htm
[18] Glenn Williams, “The Battle of New Orleans,” U.S. Army Center of Military History, January 2015, https://history.army.mil/news/2015/150100a_newOrleans.html