Above: Map of Mexico (click map to enlarge)

The war on land and sea stretched from 1812 to 1815 along the border with Canada near the Chesapeake Bay region and also along the Mexican Gulf. It ended with a peace treaty being signed in Europe.

Above: Map showing the location of Great Lakes

The American Revolutionary War of 1783 was over but Britain did not withdraw her forces from the Great Lakes. This was a bone of contention. Neither was Britain willing to sign commercial treaties in favour of America.

America watched with hostile interest the French Revolutionary Wars of 1792-1802 and the Napoleonic Wars of 1803-1815 wherein the main opponents were Britain and France. After the wars France became a major land power while Britain ruled the seas.

Above: British Officials look over American merchantmen crew

Commercially the two now locked horns. Britain tried to block the continent while France checked the sale of British goods in her colonies. The maritime skirmishes and policies of the two during the 1790’s produced conflict with America. The latter said that all had a right to the seas and France and Britain were violating its neutrality. American finger mainly pointed at Britain because she ruled the waves. To add insult to injury Britain made it her right to take from American merchant vessels any British sailors employed under them. It so happened that many Americans were also taken. This led to major trouble.

Above: Picture of Thomas Jefferson, the third President of United States

Initially USA used economic weapons to force the Europeans to change their policies. President Jefferson enforced the Embargo Act, which banned all American ships from foreign trade. It had an adverse effect. Britain and France remained adamant but the shipping of New England was practically ruined. Other weak unplanned economic steps also met with failure.

Above: Picture of US fourth President, James Madison

With America facing economic depression there seemed to be no other option but declaration of war. Public feeling was strongly for it. ‘War Hawks’ elected in the Congress in 1810 became loud in this war cry. These men were mostly from the west and south and were Democrats as well as Republicans. Their argument was that to save the honor of America and force a change in British policies - Canada should be invaded. However, the Federalists who represented the shippers of New England opposed the war anticipating that it would further ruin their trade. Meanwhile things were coming to a head in 1810 between Britain and France under Napoleon. On June 12th 1812 President Madison, in the teeth of a considerable amount of opposition, declared war.

Above: Antique map during the war at Lake Champlain (click map to enlarge)

Unprepared USA forces failed to conquer Canada in the battles of 1812 and 1813. The three-pronged attacks towards Montreal, Niagara frontier and Upper Canada lacked coordination. In the west General Hull surrendered at Detroit in August 1812. The forces along Lake Champlain had to withdraw without facing the enemy. On the waters America won some single-ship encounters with British frigates and privateers continued to harass British ships. However Britain slowly but surely tightened a blockade of America’s coast. It was disaster for American trade. The entire coast became exposed to the British.

Above: depiction of war during the Battle of the Thames

The 1813 efforts to invade Canada also proved to be abortive. At Niagara there was some sort of a stand but Montreal could not be taken. The solitary success was in the west where the Americans took control of Detroit region forcing the British to retreat eastwards. Here at the Battle of the Thames the British were defeated. Techumseh, a great Red Indian Chief who had been fighting with the British also met his end here.

Above: A portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte

1814 saw the total defeat of America because after humiliating Napoleon, Britain turned her full energy on USA. The plan was to attack New York along Lake Champlain to cut off New England, to attack New Orleans to block the Mississippi and to go to Chesapeake Bay to divert attention. Britain hoped that in this way she would be able to force major territorial concessions.

For USA the situation was very serious because she had become practically insolvent by the autumn of 1814. Things had gone so bad that the New Englanders were thinking of breaking away from the Union. The Hartford Convention at Connecticut in December 1814 however put an end to such extreme talks. But a number of constitutional amendments were put in with the objective of putting a check to federal powers.

Above: A map showing the location of Chesapeake Bay (click map to enlarge)

The British came within inches of success when American resistance at Chesapeake Bay proved to be so weak that British troops marched up to Washington DC and set fire to most of the public buildings. President Madison was forced to run away. The British next turned their attention to Baltimore but here the resistance was stronger. They had to retreat. This success of USA inspired Francis Scott to compose the ‘Star Spangled Banner.’

Above: battle of USA and Britain warship at Lake Champlain

In the north seasoned British troops marched from Montreal towards New York. Only a weak American force stood in the way. But on September 11th 1814 America under McDonough won the naval battle of Lake Champlain and destroyed a British fleet. Hastily Britain apprehensive of her communication lines withdrew back into Canada.

Above: Picture of the seventh President, James Jackson

In 1814 New Orleans citizens consisted of French, Spanish, African, Anglo and Creoles who were interested only in economic progress and the joys of life. The place occupied a strategic position. It was a tempting prize for the British still basking in their memory of having set fire to Washington DC and packing off her President on the run. A naval flotilla of 50 ships carrying 10,000 experienced troops sailed from Jamaica led by Sir Peckham. On the American side ‘Old Hickory’ or General Jackson arrived in the late autumn of 1814 and immediately set about to strengthen the defenses of the city.

Above: British fleet attacking in the Gulf of Mexico

The British navy successfully took on an American fleet near the Gulf of Mexico. Two British officers disguised as Spanish fishermen found out a canal that was unguarded. It flowed into the east bank of the Mississippi River hardly nine miles from New Orleans. On 23rd December the British ships poled their way through the maze of muddy streams and marshes unchallenged. Fortunately two Americans whose plantations had been taken over by the British, forewarned the Americans. A swift nighttime attack was launched which took the British by surprise. Startled at the boldness of their opponents the British abandoned this route of attack and retreated.

Above: The Chalmette Plantation 1812

Meanwhile Old Hickory retreated to the Chalmette Plantation of the banks of a canal. A broad dry ditch marked the narrowest strip of firm land between the British positions and the city of New Orleans. Here he built a solid mud rampart, which was 3/5 miles long. On one side was the great river and on the left were impenetrable swamps.

On 28th December Jackson stood off a strong British advance with the help of an American ship that blasted the British left flank. Jackson’s gunners also stood their ground against an artillery barrage by the British.

Above: Andrew Jackson commanding American troops in war

The arrival of fresh troops during early January 1815 spelt hope for the British. The latter planned to overwhelm Jackson’s slim line of defense in the early hours of a foggy dawn, along the bank of the river opposite the canal. It was a well chalked out plan involving heavy assault columns carrying fascines or bundled sticks used to construct fortifications as well as ladders to jump over the ditch and scale the walls. The plan failed to live up to expectations. The British were delayed and without the fog they were exposed on the open fields. Moreover they had forgotten to carry their ladders and fascines. The Americans were ready for them behind their mud and cotton bale barricades. Jackson’s force consisted of many colours - there was the regular army units together with fancy New Orleans citizens and former slaves fighting as free men. Armed farmers who had once been dismissed as bandits stood side by side with Jackson’s regular army. 4000 odd group of soldiers faced an enemy double their number squeezed inside a narrow makeshift fort!

Above: Final resting place of many soldiers who fought and died in the USA-Britain war of 1812 (Chalmette, Louisiana)

The fate of the British was sealed right from the start. They were sitting targets marching across open ground for nearly quarter of a mile. Veterans who had fought in Spain fell like ninepins together with the proud Scots. Two generals were shot to death and the Commander suffered two wounds before dying. His next in command wisely did not carry out his dying commands and decided to immediately withdraw. More than 2000 British had been killed and several hundreds were captured. The Americans lost 8 men and only 13 were wounded.

Above: Image during the signing of documents of the Treaty of Ghent

Jackson’s men saved New Orleans but by that time the war was over. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war of 1812 but the points of discord were sorted out weeks later in Europe.