War of 1812

Battle of York

(April 27, 1813) Fought in York, Upper Canada (today's Toronto, Ontario). An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lakeshore to the west and advanced against the town, which was defended by an outnumbered force of regulars, militia and Ojibwe natives under the command of Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada. Sheaffe's forces were defeated; he and his surviving regulars abandoned the militia and civilians. The Americans captured the fort, town, and dockyard, but they too suffered heavy casualties including the loss of Brigadier General Zebulon Pike.

Battle of Bladensburg

(August 24, 1814) A battle of the Chesapeake campaign fought at Bladensburg, Maryland. Called "the greatest disgrace ever dealt to American arms," a British force of army regulars and Royal Marines routed a combined U.S force of Regular Army and state militia troops. The American defeat resulted in the capture and burning of the national capital of Washington, D.C., the only time since the American Revolutionary War that the city fell to a foreign invader.

Battle of New Orleans

(January 8, 1815) Fought between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the U.S Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles southeast of the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The battle was the climax of the 5-month Gulf Campaign by Britain to try to take New Orleans, west Florida, and possibly Louisiana Territory which began at the First Battle of Fort Bowyer. Britain started the New Orleans campaign at the Battle of Lake Borgne (December 14, 1814) and numerous skirmishes and artillery duels happened in the weeks leading up to the final battle. The battle took place 15 days after the Treaty of Ghent was signed. The American forces defeated a poorly executed assault in just over 30 minutes.

Battle of Lundy's Lane

(July 25, 1814) Also known as the Battle of Niagara, it was fought between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was one of the deadliest battles ever fought in Canada. The 2 armies fought each other to a stalemate; neither side held firm control of the field following the engagement. The casualties suffered by the Americans precipitated their withdrawal, and the British held the strategic initiative.

Battle of Horseshoe Bend

(March 27, 1814) Fought in the Mississippi Territory, now central Alabama. U.S forces and Native American allies under Major General Andrew Jackson defeated the Red Sticks, a part of the Creek Native American tribe who opposed American expansion, effectively ending the Creek War. The remaining Red Sticks signed the Treaty of Ft. Jackson, which ceded over 20 million acres to the U.S.

Battle of Queenston Heights

(October 13, 1812) The first major battle of the War of 1812. Resulting in a British victory, the battle was fought between U.S regulars with New York militia forces, led by Major General Stephen Van Rensselaer, and British regulars, York and Lincoln militia and Mohawk warriors, led by Major General Isaac Brock and then Major General Roger Hale Sheaffe, who took command after Brock was killed. The battle was fought as the result of an American attempt to establish a foothold on the Canadian side of the Niagara River. The Americans, despite their numerical advantage, who were stationed in Lewiston, New York, were unable to get the bulk of their invasion force across the Niagara River because of the work of British artillery and the reluctance on the part of the undertrained and inexperienced American militia. As a result, British forces arrived, defeated the unsupported American forces, and forced them to surrender.

Battle of the Thames

(October 5, 1813) Also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, it was an American victory against Tecumseh's Confederacy and their British allies. It took place in Upper Canada near Chatham. The British lost control of southwestern Ontario, Tecumseh was killed, and his confederacy largely fell apart due to this battle. British troops under Major General Henry Procter had occupied Detroit until the U.S Navy gained control of Lake Erie, cutting them off from their supplies. Procter retreated to Moraviantown, followed by the tribal confederacy under Shawnee leader Tecumseh who were his allies. American infantry and cavalry under Major General William Henry Harrison drove off the British and then defeated the indigenous people, who were demoralized by the death of Tecumseh in action. American control was re-established in the Detroit area and Procter was court-martialled for his poor leadership.

Battle of Lake Erie

(September 10, 1813) Sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, it was fought on Lake Erie off the shore of Ohio. 9 vessels of the U.S Navy defeated and captured 6 vessels of the British Royal Navy. This ensured American control of the lake for the rest of the war, which in turn allowed Americans to recover Detroit and win the Battle of Thames to break the Native American confederation of Tecumseh. It was one of the biggest naval battles of the war.

Battle of Plattsburgh

(September 11, 1814) Also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, it ended the final British invasion of the northern states of the U.S. An army under Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost and a naval squadron under Captain George Downie converged on the lakeside town of Plattsburgh, New York. Plattsburgh was defended by New York and Vermont militia and detachments of regular troops of the U.S army, all under the command of Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, and ships commanded by Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough. Downie's squadron attacked shortly after dawn but was defeated after a hard fight in which Downie was killed. Prevost then abandoned the attack by land and retreated to Canada, saying that the British couldn't be supplied there without control of the lake.

Battle of North Point

(September 12, 1814) Fought between General John Stricker's Maryland militia and a British force led by Major General Robert Ross. Although the Americans retreated, they were able to do so in good order having inflicted significant casualties on the British, killing 1 of the commanders of the invading force, significantly demoralizing the troops under his command and leaving some of his units lost among woods and swampy creeks, with others in confusion. This prompted British colonel Arthur Brooker to delay his advance against Baltimore, buying valuable time to defend the city as Stricker retreated back to the main defenses to bolster the existing force.

Treaty of Ghent

The peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the U.S and Great Britain. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814. The treaty restored relations between the 2 parties to status quo ante bellum by restoring the pre-war borders of June 1812. The treaty began more than 2 centuries of mostly-peaceful relations between the U.S and Great Britain.