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Madison Elected
The Electoral College selects James Madison as the fourth president of the United States. Madison receives 122 votes. George Clinton is elected vice-president. He helped with the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. -
Harrison Defeats Tecumseh
General William Henry Harrison leads a force of 1000 men against an Indians at the Tippecanoe River. Harrison's men defeat tribes created by Tecumseh Indians. Tippecanoe was thought of as a great victory and helped Harrison's political future. -
Madison Reelected
James Madison is elected to a second term as president of the United States. James Madison receives 128 votes in the Electoral College. Elbridge Gerry is elected vice-president. -
Napoleon Crushed
Napoleon's French army is defeated at the Battle of Leipzig. Napoleon is forced to retreat from Russia in 1812 after seeing 400,000 of his men killed and 100,000 captured in an invasion. Napoleon sends a new army into battle but they suffer another defeat and his forces retreat back into France. -
White House Burned
British forces capture Washington, D.C. The White House, Capitol, and executive department offices are burned. The Secretary of War is blamed for the bad arrangements and is forced to resign. -
American Victory at Lake Champlain
American forces fight a British army of 11,000 men command by sir George Prevost at Lake Champlain in New York. The Americans were outnumbered three to one. Prevost is forced to withdraw from the field. Prevost abandoned his invasion and retreat into Canada. -
Treaty of Ghent
Britain and the United States sign the Treaty of Ghent that ended the War of 1812. The treaty included for the return of all prisoners of war and captured territory. Commissions are established to address different boundary questions. The treaty was unanimously ratified by the United States Senate on February 17, 1815. -
Battle of New Orleans
Two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent was signed, to end the War of 1812, the United States won its greatest military victory at the Battle of New Orleans. General Andrew Jackson and a force of 5,000 Americans defeat an invading British army of 7,500 soldiers. Andrew Jackson became a national hero.
