Major Events in the War of 1812
Star Spangled Banner
America's National Anthem= written by Francis Scott Key in 1814: "Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light, / What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? / Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight, / O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? / And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, / Gave proof thro' the night, that our flag was still there. / Oh say does the star-spangled banner yet wave / O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?" (There are several other verses)
Event
Battle of New Orleans= January, 1815 - A large British invasion force was repelled by Andrew Jackson's troops at New Orleans. . About 2500 British soldiers were killed or captured, while in the American army only 8 men were killed. Neither side knew that the Treaty of Ghent had ended the War of 1812 two weeks before the battle. This victory inspired American nationalism
Event
Battle of Tippecanoe= Battle in which Native Americans united by Tecumseh and Prophet fought against General William Henry Harrison's forces and lost. Americans on the frontier blamed Britain for initiating the rebellion (1811) Tecumseh opposed any surrender of Native American land to whites, and tried with his brother, Tenskwatawa the "Prophet," in uniting the tribes from American customs, especially liquor.
Event
Burning of the Capital Building/ White House= August 24,1814 (during the War of 1812); British Army occupied Washington DC and set fire to many public buildings following the American defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg; Facilities of the US Government (i.e. White House and Capitol) were largely destroyed.
Trail of Tears
Forced removal of Native Americans from Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida to Indian Territory (Oklahoma) where 4,000 Natives died of exposure to the cold weather, disease, old age, and fatigue. Natives v. Andrew Jackson
Event
Fort McHenry= American island fortress that guarded Baltimore's Harbor. In 1814, it withstood British bombardment, inspiring Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner.
