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War of 1812

The Star-Spangled Drinking Song

The Star-Spangled Drinking Song

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In April 1814, the Sixth Coalition defeated the French at Toulouse, finally forcing the abdication of Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor. The war in Europe was finally over, so the victorious British Empire could finally turn its attention to North America. The result would not only drastically change America's fortunes in the ongoing War of 1812, it would lead to the modern equivalent of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now" becoming the U.S. national anthem. The Star-Spangled Banner Emerged From Fort McHenry For the first two years of the War of 1812, Britain, Canadian militias, and Native tribes allied with Britain had been holding off an American invasion of Canada. Fighting Napoleon meant the Empire couldn't spare the troops needed in the Great Lakes. Well, no more. The tide of the war would soon be turned, as the British sent tens of thousands of battle-hardened veterans of the Peninsular War to the United States.  After expelling American forces from Canada, they sent three...

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War of 1812 – The United States Navy in America’s First Overseas Conflict

War of 1812 – The United States Navy in America’s First Overseas Conflict

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The Barbary Pirates were corsairs from the North African states of Morocco, Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli who raided European commerce unchecked for nearly three centuries. Not only did they capture ships, cargo, and weapons from their victims, but they also enslaved their Christian captives. Despite all the naval might projected by Europe's powerful military elite, it was the fledgling United States that ultimately dealt with the pirates. The Barbary Wars became America's first overseas war and its first overseas military victory.  The First U.S. Overseas Conflict Began Over Pirate Tribute Although nominally under the rule of the Ottoman Empire (except for independent Morocco), the Barbary States largely acted independently of their Sultan in Constantinople. Europe, for all its naval might, decided it was far easier and cheaper to buy off the pirates with an annual tribute than it was actually to fight a war over such a vast coastline. When the United States declared its...

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Famous Navy Unit: USS Constitution: Old Ironsides

Famous Navy Unit: USS Constitution: Old Ironsides

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Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!Long has it waved on high,And many an eye has danced to seeThat banner in the sky;Beneath it rung the battle shout,And burst the cannon's roar;The meteor of ocean airShall sweep the clouds no more! "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr (1809-94) The Birth of USS Constitution: Old Ironsides As it turned out, that 1830 poem sparked public concern, and the ship's ensign was not torn down at all then or since. The USS Constitution was designed by Joshua Humphreys and developed and constructed in response to the Ottoman and Berber Barbary corsairs, which menaced American merchant shipping off the northern coast of Africa. Following the Revolution, the United States' Continental Navy was disbanded, leaving the new nation without a credible sea power to defend its interests abroad. Signed into law on March 27, 1794 by President George Washington, the Naval Armament Act called for the construction of six frigates to be built at shipyards along the...

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The War of 1812 – The Siege of Fort McHenry

The War of 1812 – The Siege of Fort McHenry

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Every American is familiar with the words of Francis Scott Key's epic poem-turned song-turned national anthem.  "Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, ⁠O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?" As we stand there, listening to the words while waiting for our football or baseball game to start, it likely doesn't occur to us just how miraculous it was for the broad stripes and bright stars to still be gallantly streaming that morning in September 1814. At the outset of the battle, things looked pretty grim for the Americans.  The Siege of Fort McHenry: Inspiration for Our National Anthem When the War of 1812 began, Britain was fighting a defensive war, mainly because it was focused on defeating Napoleon in Europe. When Napoleon was exiled to Elba in May 1814, the Royal Navy was free to take the offensive – and it did, in a big way.  The U.S. saw success in the Great Lakes and against Britain's American Indian allies, but the Royal Navy...

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America and the 1812 Overture

America and the 1812 Overture

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At the end of almost every July 4th fireworks show, there's a grand finale. Many times, that finale of explosions is accompanied by a stirring rendition of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." It seems a natural fit for independence day: a rousing theme that ends with a volley of cannon fire and chiming bells.  The only problem is that the theme, though based on a war, has nothing to do with the United States and certainly nothing to do with the War of 1812. The only thing the U.S. has in common with the song is that Russia and the United States were both at war in 1812, though not with each other.  The "1812 Overture" and Tchaikovsky's Tribute to Russia's Victory Tchaikovsky debuted what is probably his most famous work In Moscow in August 1882. The overture was meant to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Russia's victory over Napoleon's invasion in 1812. The French emperor invaded Russia at the head of more than half a million men. At Borodino, some 75 miles west of Moscow,...

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The War of 1812 – The Battle of Bladensburg

The War of 1812 – The Battle of Bladensburg

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During the War of 1812, the young United States was still asserting its independence from Britain despite its earlier military victories in both the Revolution and the Barbary War. In 1813, Americans captured and burned the capital of Upper Canada, the city of York (modern-day Toronto). It was a tactical victory but did little to win the war - and it would cost them in a big way.  The Battle of Bladensburg and Its Significance The British would finally bring a significant force to bear against the Americans, and a combination of miscalculation and inexperienced command would result in the burning of the nation's capital. The only silver lining was 500 Marines who kept them at bay long enough for the U.S. government to escape.  For two years, the British Army and Royal Navy were focused on defeating Napoleon in Europe. They didn't have the resources to dedicate themselves to fully execute a war in North America. They simply didn't have the manpower or material to avenge defeats like...

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Maj. George Armistead, U.S. Army (1799-1818)

Maj. George Armistead, U.S. Army (1799-1818)

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In the Spring of 1814, the war between the British and the still-young United States looked pretty bleak for the Americans. The War of 1812 had started with a bang for the U.S., with American troops crippling the war efforts of Native tribes in the south and making incursions into British Canada in the north. But 1814 was a turning point for the British Empire. It had just defeated Napoleon and sent the Emperor to exile on the island of Elba. This victory allowed Britain to move 30,000 veteran soldiers from Europe to North America, where a three-pronged plan threatened to cut the new republic to a shell of its former self.  The British sent three expeditions, each with 10,000 fresh, skilled soldiers, toward three targets: New York City, Baltimore, and New Orleans. If any of them succeeded in capturing their objectives, the Americans would be forced to make disastrous concessions in the Treaty of Ghent, negotiated to end the war. If New Orleans fell, it would have invalidated the...

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