War of 1812 Archives - TogetherWeServed Blog

The War of 1812 – The Siege of Fort McHenry

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....

America and the 1812 Overture

Military Myths and Legends, War of 1812

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...

The War of 1812 – The Battle of Bladensburg

Battlefield Chronicles, War of 1812

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...

Capt Stephen Decatur, U.S. Navy (1798–1820)

Profiles in Courage

In the world of American Naval heroes, few figures loom as large over Navy history as that of Stephen Decatur. He was among the first American military heroes to come to prominence after the American Revolution, the youngest sailor ever promoted to Captain in U.S. Navy history, and a veteran of three wars. With every battle in every war he fought, Stephen Decatur's service exemplified the heroism and bravery of the Navy, no matter what his rank he was at the time. Stephen Decatur Was Brought...

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

Profiles in Courage, War of 1812

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...

Explaining U.S. Navy Operations

Useful Military Information

The US Navy is the world’s most powerful seagoing force and has amassed a long list of achievements through its numerous naval operations. Together We Served, the internet’s largest repository of personal military history, honors those sailors who have contributed to its successes, from naval operations in World War II to the Global War on Terrorism. Historic Naval Operations While there were plenty of battles in the Pacific Theater that counted as prominent victories: The Battle of Midway,...

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