On this day, the War of 1812 Began

On this day, President James Madison declared war against Great Britain and the War of 1812 began.

In the months that followed, American forces launched a three-point invasion of Canada, all of which were decisively unsuccessful.

In 1814, British troops burned the White House, the Capitol, and other buildings in retaliation for the earlier burning of government buildings in Toronto by U.S. soldiers. To date, the White House gets its name from the paint job required as a result of that attack.



The Niagara region in Southern Ontario and Northern New York State has many tourist landmarks where you can visit some of the famous battle sites, such as Queenston Heights. There is a huge statue commemorating the fall of General Brock that can be seen for miles.

On both sides of the Niagara River, you can visit period forts of the British and American forces.



Most people are unaware that there were a number of naval battles on the Great Lakes and Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are filled with a number of wrecks from this period. On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed, formally ending the War of 1812. By the terms of the agreement, all conquered territory was to be returned, and a commission would be established to settle the boundary of the United States and Canada.



Lastly, while both sides declared victory after the war, most historians agree that the war was incredibly mismanaged by the generals on both sides, who failed to lead decisively because of ego, illness, or just plain incompetence.

The role of the aboriginal forces was a principle factor in the British not getting completely creamed. Tecumseh and his forces were instrumental in the victory of Detroit. They scared the crap out of the american forces in the fort there by lining in a single file, running through a field in plain view of the fort, then doubling back through the bush unseen to join the line and run through it again.

The illusion made it appear that there were many more warriors than there in fact were. Tecumseh was killed before the end of the war.



Oh, remember that huge monument to Brock I spoke of earlier. In a park nearby, you will find one little plaque fixed to a rock acknowledging the role of aboriginal warriors in the war. To my knowledge, Tecumseh is not named in the plaque.