Resources & Links
- War of 1812 Timeline: American Battlefield TrustExplore our timeline of the War of 1812 and learn about the important events and battles that happened throughout this period of American history – from the Battle of Tippecanoe to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent.
- War of 1812: American Battlefield TrustSometimes referred to as the “Second War of Independence,” the War of 1812 was the first large scale test of the American republic on the world stage. With the British Navy impressing American sailors, and the British government aiding Native American tribes in their attacks on American citizens on the frontier, Congress, for the first time in our nation’s history, declared war on a foreign nation: Great Britain. Battles raged on the high seas. British soldiers invaded American soil, captured Washington D.C., and even burned the White House. In the end the Star-Spangled Banner waved “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.” Explore the battlefields and personalities of this critical time in American history.
- War of 1812: HistoryIn the War of 1812, the United States took on the greatest naval power in the world, Great Britain, in a conflict that would have an immense impact on the young country’s future.
Databases
- America: History and Life This link opens in a new window
This is a database of literature covering the history and culture of the United States and Canada, from prehistory to the present. You will find full-text coverage of more than 200 journals and nearly 100 books, as well as indexing for 1,700 journals.
- American History, 1493-1945 This link opens in a new window
American History, 1493-1945 is a unique collection of American history documents from the earliest settlers to the mid-twentieth century. This database includes primary source documents, including images, chronologies, and documents, from 1493 to 1945.
- Britannica Original Sources This link opens in a new window
Britannica Original Sources proves your access to primary source documents from history, literature, science, law, politics, religion, and more. Original Sources gives you instant access to an extensive, continually increasing collection of thousands of classic, primary reference sources in 12 subject areas.
Streaming Media
- The War of 1812: Crash Course US HistoryIn which John Green teaches you about the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and its former colonial overlord England. It started in, you guessed it 1812. The war lasted until 1815, and it resolved very little. John will take you through the causes of the war, tell you a little bit about the fighting itself, and get into just why the US Army couldn't manage to make any progress invading Canada. And yes, Canadians, we're going to talk about the White House getting burned down. The upshot: no territory changed hands, and most of the other bones of contention were solved prior to the actual war. Although nothing much changed for the US and England, the Native Americans were the big losers. Tecumseh was killed, and the Indian tribes lost a lot of territory.
- The War of 1812The place: just outside the Virginia Capes. And the year: 1807. An American frigate, the Chesapeake, has been fired on and boarded. Four sailors are taken off the Chesapeake to the British ship Leopard and impressed into English naval service. Britain, at war with France, faced the conqueror of Europe Napoleon Bonaparte. English ships hovered off American ports ready to seize vessels and cargo destined for France. So began the sequence of events that led to the War of 1812, a conflict described in this film largely through illustrations and graphics and with an emphasis on naval actions. “Men and ships of 1812: fighting defenders of our great, free republic!” (20 minutes)
- The Disastrous War of 1812In 1812, Madison sent a request to Congress for a declaration of war, but the War of 1812 was a debacle. In October 1814, the Massachusetts legislature passed a peace resolution and threatened secession from the Union. Only the signing of the Treaty of Ghent at the end of 1814 ended talk of a New England separatist movement.
Perspectives
1812: The Navy's War
At the outbreak of the War of 1812, America's prospects looked dismal. It was clear that the primary battlefield would be the open ocean--but America's war fleet, only twenty ships strong, faced a practiced British navy of more than a thousand men-of-war. Still, through a combination of nautical deftness and sheer bravado, the American navy managed to take the fight to the British and turn the tide of the war: on the Great Lakes, in the Atlantic, and even in the eastern Pacific. In1812: The Navy's War, prizewinning historian George C. Daughan tells the thrilling story of how a handful of heroic captains and their stalwart crews overcame spectacular odds to lead the country to victory against the world's greatest imperial power. A stunning contribution to military and national history,1812: The Navy's War is the first complete account in more than a century of how the U.S. Navy rescued the fledgling nation and secured America's future.
Research & Reference
- War of 1812: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on the War of 1812. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.