The Topic: War of 1812
Overview
The Basics - The War of 1812 is sometimes called the "Second War of Independence" or the "forgotten war." It was fought until 1815 between the United States and Great Britain. This conflict was caused mainly by the US resentment of British naval harassment. The British were already at war with France. They seized American ships and took seamen from them, some who were US citizens. The British also attempted to keep US ships from reaching French ports.More Detail - The War of 1812 could be called the "war of poor communication." Two days before the declaration of war, Great Britain agreed to repeal the naval laws which were chiefly responsible for the conflict. Speedy communication would have also eliminated the greatest battle, the Battle of New Orleans that occurred 15 days after a peace treaty had been signed.
The United States, still a fledgling country, risked national disaster by again going to war with powerful Great Britain. Support in the US was divided with the West and South 'hawkish' for a fight, but people of the New England regions calling for cooler leadership and strongly opposed to war. As the war continued, this internal division of support was amplified. It was also strange that this war over freedom of the seas began with an unsuccessful land invasion of Canada. The Treaty of Ghent ended the war but restored territories to prewar status and established a commission to settle Northwest Territory boundary disputes. Both sides claimed victory.
42eXplore 4 Teens
Fort
McHenry National Monument and Historic
Shrine
http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/patriots.html
Learn about the history of Fort McHenry and its
roles in the War of 1812.
Related Websites:
2) Francis Scott Key http://www.usflag.org/francis.scott.key.html
3) National Anthem http://www.law.ou.edu/hist/ssb.html
4) Star Spangled Banner http://americanhistory.si.edu/ssb/
5) Star Spangled Banner http://www.mce.k12tn.net/nation_grows/lesson_7.htm
6) Star Spangled Banner from James Madison
University http://www.jmu.edu/madison/anthem.htm
7) Star-Spangled Banner and the War of 1812
from Encyclopedia Smithsonian
http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/starflag.htm
8) Star Spangled Banner Links http://www.treefort.org/~rgrogan/web/flag3.htm
History
of the War of 1812
http://www.hamilton-scourge.city.hamilton.on.ca/war1812.htm
Here you find a Canadian perspective on the War
of 1812.
Related Websites
2) War of 1812 http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/
3) War of 1812 http://www.warof1812.ca/
4) War of 1812 http://members.attcanada.ca/~htfergus/AmericanWar.html
Key
Events & Causes: War of 1812 by G.D.
Feldmeth
http://home.earthlink.net/~gfeldmeth/chart.1812.html
Here you have an online timeline of events
related to the War of 1812.
Related Websites:
2) Events Leading Up to the War of 1812
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/nation_grows/lesson_5.htm
3) Impressment of American Sailors from The
Mariner's Museum http://www.mariner.org/usnavy/08/08a.htm
4) Maps of the War of 1812 http://www.dean.usma.edu/history/dhistorymaps/W1812Pages/W1812ToC.htm
5) War of 1812 http://www.usahistory.com/wars/1812.htm
6) War of 1812: Chronology http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/chronology/
7) War of 1812 Timeline from America at War
http://www.semo.net/suburb/dlswoff/1812.html
American
War of 1812 from Hillsdale
College
http://www.hillsdale.edu/dept/History/War/FR1812.htm
Here is a collection of collection of primary
sources for military history of the War of
1812.
Related Websites:
2) War of 1812 from History Channel
http://www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl?ID=35804
3) War of 1812 from Illinois Trails History
and Genealogy http://www.iltrails.org/1812hx.htm
4) War of 1812 by J. Leach from
GruntsNet http://www.grunts.net/wars/19thcentury/1812/1812.html
5) War of 1812 http://www.sandiego.edu/~jkuss/war1812.html
6) War of 1812 http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/index.html
7) War of 1812 from James Madison
University http://www.jmu.edu/madison/War1812.htm
8) War of 1812 http://www.mce.k12tn.net/nation_grows/lesson_6.htm
9) War of 1812 Website from Military
Heritage
http://www.militaryheritage.com/1812art.htm
10) War of 1812: A Most Paradoxical Struggle
http://www.linkny.com/~history/1812war.htm
11) War of 1812: Second War for Independence at
Military Analysis Network U.S.A.
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/ops/1812.htm
Activities 2 eXplore
After visiting several of the websites
that interest you, complete one or more of
the following activities.
Take A War of 1812 Quiz Online.
Test your knowledge of the who's, where's
and why's with the War
of 1812 Quiz. You can find other
quizzes at War
of 1812 by A. Cordner and the
Quiz
Section at The War of 1812
website.
Complete A War of 1812
WebQuest. Adapt or follow the
procedures found at one of the following
webQuest sites:
1) Return of the British (Grades
11-12) http://teach.fhu.edu/technology/EDU506/WebQuests/war1812/war1812.html
2) War of 1812 (Grade 8) http://www.iron.k12.ut.us/schools/...
3) War of 1812 http://www.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/Teacher_Res/WebQuests/War/home_page.htm
4) War of 1812 at Scholastic
(Grades 5-8) http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/ushist/war1812.htm
5) War of 1812 by S. Sturdevant,
Winston Churchill Public School
http://www.lkdsb.net/Sites/TEAS/Webquests/1812Webquest/war_of_1812.htm
6) War of 1812 (Grades 9-11) by H.
McKinney http://www.esu4.org/tech/edwq/war1812.html
Create A Rocket. "Rockets' red
glare" in the War of 1812 were made famous
by the "Star Spangled Banner". Follow the
directions found at Seltzer
Tablet Rocket from Science at Home
to construct your own rocket. Observe
what types of chemical changes happen to
give it boost.
Who Won This "Forgotten War?"
In addition to the other websites, you
might also want to visit these locations
before you organize your research
findings. Organize and present findings to
support your decision.
1) America's First Defeat by A. Lutins
http://www.lutins.org/1812.html
2) Summary: War of 1812-1814 http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/summary.html
3) Treaty of Ghent: A First Nations
Perspective http://www.galafilm.com/1812/e/background/nat_peace.html
4) War of 1812 by D. Bentley http://www.hwcn.org/link/fso/1812.htm
5) War of 1812 http://www.nv.cc.va.us/home/nvsageh/Hist121/Part3/Warof1812.htm
Imagine If the British Had Won!
The outcome of the War of 1812 is still
debated today. Some call it the "war
nobody won." Consider what the effects
would have been if the British had
decidedly won the war. Present the major
changes that you envision occurring.
Compare and Contrast the War of
1812. Select another war and analyze
both conflicts to identify ways in which
they were similar and ways that they were
different. Present the results of your
study.
Did Native Americans Lose? Many
people believe that Indians were the "big
losers" of the War of 1812. Agree or
disagree? Explain why?
Websites by Kids for Kids
Re-living
History: The War of 1812 (1998
ThinkQuest Internet Challenge)
http://library.thinkquest.org/22916/
Discover the causes and effects of the War of
1812 and its impact on North America. This project
contains illustrations and audio clips, a time line
of battles and events, plus biographies of
important Americans, Amerindians, Canadians, and
British figures.
Tippecanoe
and the Internet Too! (Grade 4) from
Battle Ground Elementary School
http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/
This Internet project provides information
about the Battle of Tippecanoe.
War
of 1812
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Ranch/9198/war1812/w1812a.htm
This website began as a report for a third
grade Gifted and Talented class in February 1998.
In some ways the War of 1812 was America's second
War of Independence.
Battles of the War of 1812
Battle
of Lake Erie from Erie Maritime
Museum
http://www.brigniagara.org/battle.htm
On September 10, 1813, the British under
Commodore Robert Heriot Barclay and the Americans
under Perry met in battle near Put-in-Bay,
Ohio.
Not-To-Be-Missed Sections:
2) African Americans in the Battle of Lake Erie http://www.brigniagara.org/africanamericans.htm
3) Oliver Hazard Perry http://www.brigniagara.org/history.htm
Related Website:
4) Perry's Victory & International Peace
Memorial http://www.nps.gov/pevi/
Battles
of the War at War of 1812
http://members.tripod.com/~war1812/allbat.html
Here you find information about the major
battles of the War of 1812.
Related Website:
2) War of 1812: Major Battles from
MultiEducator, Inc. History Central http://www.multied.com/1812/
Fort
Erie and The War of 1812
http://www.iaw.on.ca/~jsek/
Visit old Fort Erie in Ontario, Canada, where
the most bloody Siege of Fort Erie took place on
August 15, 1814.
History
of Tecumseh and the Battle at Tippecanoe
Creek
http://gateway.tippecanoe.com/tec_hist.html
In 1811 General William Henry Harrison led an
army against Prophet's Town on the Tippecanoe River
in Indiana. This battle occurred prior to the War
of 1812.
Other Websites on the Battle of
Tippecanoe:
2) Battle of Tippecanoe from OhioKIDS! Ohio
History Central
http://www.ohiokids.org/ohc/history/h_indian/events/btippeca.html
3) Battle of Tippecanoe http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ky/tippecanoe/titlepage.html
4) Tippecanoe and the Internet Too! http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/
5) Tippecanoe Battlefield Brochure http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/associat.html
National
Hero, the Battle of New Orleans
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/P/aj7/about/bio/jack07.htm
Here is brief biography site on Andrew Jackson
and the Battle of New Orleans.
Related Websites:
2) Battle of New Orleans http://lsm.crt.state.la.us/cabildo/cab6.htm
3) Brief Biography of Andrew Jackson 1767 -
1845 by H. Morris
http://www.earlyrepublic.net/jksn-bio.htm
4) National Hero - The Battle of New Orleans
from James Madison University http://www.jmu.edu/madison/jack07.htm
Ogdensburg's
Role in the War of 1812 from Greater
Ogdensburg Chamber Of Commerce
http://www.1000islands.com/ogdensburg/ogd1812.htm
This site discusses the battle which took place
in a small New York town during the War of
1812.
Similar Websites:
2) Action at Selkirk During the War of 1812 http://gray.maine.com/lights/1812.htm
3) Battle of Plattsburg - September 11 1814 by
J.P. Millard from Lake Champlain
& Lake George Historical Site http://www.historiclakes.org/Plattsburg/Plattsburg.html
4) George Croghan and The Battle of Fort
Stephenson by F.H. Eachus
http://members.tripod.com/~Eachus/BattleofFortStephenson.html
5) War of 1812: Niagara to Stoney Creek from
Battlefield House Museum http://www.battlefieldhouse.ca/battle.html
Road
to Washington: British Army Style by T.
Cavanaugh
http://www.tc-solutions.com/croom/1812.html
This site provides a prelude to the Battle of
Bladensburg and the invasion of Washington.
Related Website:
2) British Account of the Burning of Washington
by G.R. Gleig http://www.project21.org/BritishBurnWashington1814.html and http://www.nationalcenter.org/BritishBurnWashington1814.html
3) Burning of Washington by Dolley Madison http://www.project21.org/WashingtonBurning1814.html
4) Burning of Washington by Dolley Madison http://www.onealwebsite.com/burn.htm
5) Official British Account of the Capture of
Washington D.C. http://www.warof1812.net/
More 2 eXplore
1812
War Message from This Nation
http://www.thisnation.com/library/1812message.html
James Madison delivered this to members of the
US Senate and the House of Representatives on
November 4, 1812.
Few
Good Men - English Style!
http://www.bcpl.net/~etowner/poster.html
Here you find a reproduction of an English
handbill printed in Newark, England to attract
recruits to the Royal Marines during the American
War - known in America as the War of 1812.
Ironsides:
USS Constitution
http://www.schoonerman.com/iron.htm
Learn about the history of the Constitution.
Called "Old Ironsides", this 44-gun frigate won
battles with the British frigates Guerriere and
Java.
Related Websites:
2) Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. http://www.jmu.edu/madison/war1812/ironpoem.htm
3) USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/
4) USS Constitution - Old Ironsides http://www.seacoastnh.com/ussconstitution/index.html
5) U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) from
James Madison University http://www.jmu.edu/madison/war1812/ironhist.htm
Jean
Lafitte: Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans by
J. Geringer
http://www.crimelibrary.com/americana/lafitte/main.htm
He has been called "The Corsair," "The
Buccaneer," "The King of Barataria," "The Terror of
the Gulf," "The Hero of New Orleans". At three
separate times, US presidents have condemned,
exonerated and again condemned his actions. He is
known for his piracy in the Gulf of Mexico, and
lauded for his heroism in the Battle of New
Orleans.
Related Website:
2) Jean Laffite, Enigma and Legend by C. Vallar
from Suite101 http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pirates/33757
Privateers
and Chassier
http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/Other/OtherPrivate.html
During the War of 1812, President James Madison
attempted to overcome the small size of the US Navy
by issuing Letters of Marquee and Reprisal to
private ship owners.
Related Website:
2) Privateering During the War of 1812 by F.P.
Young http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/learningcenter/privateers.html
Roles
Women Played in the War of 1812 by H.
Ferguson
http://umbrigade.tripod.com/women.html
There were women involved in the War of 1812 on
both the American and British sides, and through
their reminisces, letters and journals, you can get
a glimpse of what it was like in this war that
spanned many acres and took two and a half
years.
Shawnee
in the War of 1812 by R. Williams
http://umbrigade.tripod.com/shawnee.html
Learn about the Indian roles in the War of
1812.
Related Websites:
2) American Hero: Tecumseh from James
Madison University http://www.jmu.edu/madison/tecumseh/index.htm
3) Object at Hand - Tecumseh's Revenge from
Smithsonian Magazine http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues95/jul95/object_0795.html
4) Oneidas in the War of 1812 by A. Wonderley
from Oneida Indian Nation
http://oneida-nation.net/1812.html
5) Tecumseh http://www.wvec.k12.in.us/battle/tecumseh.html
6) Tecumseh to Governor Harrison at Vincennes http://www.project21.org/Tecumseh.html
7) War of 1812 and Tecumseh http://www-personal.umich.edu/~ksands/War.html
Super
Frigates
http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/supfrig.htm
This site describes the US ships that proved so
effective in the War of 1812.
Thomas
H. Warner 1780-1828 His Letters
http://haemo-sol.com/thomas/thomas.html
During Ensign. Warner's tour of duty he wrote
letters home to his wife, five of which have been
preserved.
Treaty
of Ghent Ends War
http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/H/1990/ch3_p11.htm
Learn about the treaty that ended the War and
the events leading to it.
War
of 1812 from Avalon Project at Yale Law
School
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/diplomacy/britian/br1814m.htm
This collection of eight American documents
includes a declaration of war, an agreement to
exchange naval prisoners of war and the Treaty of
Ghent, among others.
War
of 1812, 1812-1815 from African American
Freedom Fighters by M. Sylvester
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaffsfl.htm#1812
Learn about the Blacks who were willing, able,
or chosen to fight the British.
War
of 1812 in the Northwest from Ohio
Historical Society
http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/chronology/index.html
This chronology is not in any sense a complete
list of the military events and actions of the War
of 1812 in the Northwest. Many smaller skirmishes
are omitted and only those of major importance to
the overall result are included. On the whole, the
chronology is meant as a guide to the military
campaigns.
Document Transcriptions of the War of 1812
in the Northwest from Ohio Historical
Society:
2) Volume I: William Henry Harrison and the War
of 1812 in the Northwest http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/harrison/
3) Volume II: Return Jonathan Meigs Jr. and the
War of 1812 in the Northwest
http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/meigs/
4) Vol III - Thomas Worthington and the War of
1812 in the Northwest
http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/worthington/
5) Vol IV - Anecdotes of the Lake Erie Area War
of 1812
http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/lake_erie/
Another Document Transcription of the War of
1812 from Ohio Historical Society:
6) Expenditure of Appropriations to Award the
Officers and Crews of Certain Vessels for
Captures.... http://www.ohiohistory.org/onlinedoc/war1812/expenditure/
War
of 1812 - Era Shipwrecks of Lake
Champlain
http://ina.tamu.edu/LCwarof1812.htm
This website features several shipwrecks of
Lake Champlains War of 1812.
Websites For Teachers
Baltimore
and the War of 1812 by B. Ertle
http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/MD/Lesson10/Lesson10_Guide.html
Students identify the importance of privateers
and Letters of Marque, roles of Baltimore and Fort
McHenry, and evaluate the importance of Baltimore
Clippers on the War of 1812.
Close
of the Frontier Threatened the Indian by
L.C.Garibaldi
http://riceinfo.rice.edu/armadillo/Owlink/Lessons/larryles.html
Tremendous changes swept across America in the
late 1800's. The building of the railroad and the
westward movement of whites led to the destruction
of Indian culture.
Fort
McHenry National Monument & Historic
Shrine by J. Rogers from National Park
Service
http://www.nps.gov/fomc/tguide/Contents.htm
This site contains a collection of lesson plans
plus handouts related to Fort McHenry and the War
of 1812.
War
of 1812 (Grade 2) by J. Vance & K.
Bailey
http://www.coreknowledge.org/CKproto2/resrcs/lessons/22K_War_1812.pdf
This unit plan (13 lessons) covers events
leading to and during the War.
War
of 1812 in the News by D. Smith (Grades
7-9) from AskERIC Lesson Plan
http://www.askeric.org/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_History/USH0032.html
In this lesson, students integrate history with
art in a study of the War of 1812.
War
of 1812: Should it be called the Second War of
American Independence? (Grade 8) by J.A.M.
Gill from SCORE
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/second_war_independence/
Students become "news correspondent -
investigative reporter" to research one or more
battles, or events, of the War of 1812. Following
their research, they write an original article,
which may include a map, drawing, or
illustration.
Words 2 eXplore
War of 1812 | Indian | impressment | William Henry Harrison | war hawk | Star-Spangled Banner |
"Old Ironsides" | Tecumseh | Embargo Act | Canada | Northwest Territories | blockade |
Andrew Jackson | national anthem | navy | American Revolution | frontier | loyalist |
neutrality | privateer | burning of the Capital | pirate | The Prophet | battle |
fort | "orders in counsel" | bombardment | Loyalist | Hartford Convention | invasion |
flotilla | Tippecanoe | bomb | Great Britain | artillery | fleet |
Letters of Marquee and Reprisal | rocket | "Battle of New Orleans" | United States | Andrew Jackson | declaration of war |
"Forgotten War" | invasion of Canada | flag | Jean Lafitte | Federalist | Treaty of Ghent |
Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 9/02, Updated 7/07.