The War of 1812 was fought between the British Empire and the United States from 1812 to 1815 on land in North America and at sea. The British forces were helped by Canadian militia (volunteers) and Native Americans because British soldiers were busy fighting Napoleon I in Europe.
In nearly every battle, the British defeated the attacking American forces. The war increased nationalism in both Canada and the United States.
Causes
One reason given by Americans for declaring war was that the British were bothering American ships. The British claimed to be looking for British sailors who had deserted. Many British sailors deserted from the miserable conditions and the harsh discipline. Originally, many of the sailors had been pressed into service. It was the practice of the British to arrest any man they found on a street and to force him to serve on their ships. Many British sailors who escaped signed on as crew aboard American merchant ships. The British claim was somewhat true.
In 1807, an American ship was boarded and then fired on, which created outrage among the American public. The British were also seizing American sailors at sea and forcing them to serve in the navy.
The numbers of American seamen pressed into British service is not well known and may have been greatly exaggerated. The British were also sponsoring Native American territories in the Midwest to stop the United States from expanding westward. That made 10,000 Native Americans fight for the British.
Napoleon I started the French invasion of Russia in 1812, just as the war started in North America. The Americans thought that the British would be busy fighting the French during the Napoleonic Wars to do much in North America.
The war
Fighting began when the United States started to attack the Canadian provinces in 1812. However, the British and the Canadians successfully defended their borders. In 1813, British and American ships fought in the Battle of Lake Erie. Americans under Oliver Hazard Perry won, which gave them control of Lake Erie. American forces raided and burned Toronto, which was then called York.
In 1814, Napoleon I abdicated the French throne. That freed up experienced British troops to be sent to North America. They burned the unfinished Washington, DC, and also attacked Baltimore. An American lawyer, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem about the Battle of Baltimore. The poem was later used to give the words to a song that later became the US national anthem: "The Star Spangled Banner." The war ended in 1815. The British attacked New Orleans but were stopped by the Americans under General Andrew Jackson.
Unknown by both sides, a peace treaty had already been signed. On July 2, 1812, the Cuyahoga Packet, an American ship, was captured by Canadian Lieutenant Frederic Rolette in the Detroit River. On July 12, 1812, Americans from Detroit won offensives in Upper Canada and were led by William Hull. On July 17, 1812, a force of British troops, French voyageurs, and Indians captured Fort Mackinac, in Michigan territory. That victory brought more Native American support. The British got control of Mackinac Island and northern Michigan. In the Siege of Detroit (August 15-16, 1812), Americans led by Commander William Hull resisted the British troops of Isaac Brock and their allies Tecumseh's Confederacy. Seven Americans died. When Hull surrendered Detroit, 1600 American militia were freed and escorted south by the Canadians to protect them from Tecumseh's Confederacy. It is estimated that over 582 American soldiers were imprisoned in Quebec. On August 19, 1812, the ships of USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere fought a battle about 400 miles (650 km) southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The USS Constitution won. On October 13, 1812, British defenders under Major General Isaac Brock attacked American occupation forces at the Battle of Queenston Heights. Brock died, and Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe took command.
Peace
The two countries signed the Treaty of Ghent to end the war, on December 24, 1814 in Belgium. Fighting continued into January 1815 because the forces did not know about the treaty, but no great changes took place afterward. The British stopped impressing sailors because the Napoleonic Wars had been finished.
Most Americans heard of the victory in the Battle of New Orleans before they heard of the treaty. The Federalist Party, which had opposed the war, became disliked as pro-British and soon disappeared.