The following timeline offers a chronological overview of some of the major events during the War of 1812 and beyond.
1783 War of Independence ends
1793-1815 War between Britain and France
1806 Battle on Chesapeake Bay between HMS Leopard and USS Chesapeake
1809 President James Madison takes office
1812 Madison re-elected by taking pro-war stance
June 18, 1812 United States declares war
Summer 1812 U.S. forces invade Canada and suffer embarrassing defeats
March 3, 1813 Admiral George Cockburn arrives on Chesapeake Bay
April 29, 1813 Frenchtown burned
April 29, 1813 Militia turns back British marines in Battle of Elkton
May 3, 1813 Havre de Grace burned; Principio Furnace burned
May 6, 1813 Georgetown and Fredericktown burned
Aug. 10, 1813 Mary Young Pickersgill completes the Star-Spangled Banner flag
Oct. 5, 1813 British ally and Shawnee leader Tecumseh killed at Battle of Thames in Canada, ending American Indian hopes of stopping westward expansion by United States
Feb. 26, 1814 Baltimore privateer Chasseur defeats HMS St. Lawrence off Cuba
June 7, 1814 First Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek
June 26, 1814 Second Battle of St. Leonard’s Creek
Aug. 24-25, 1814 Battle of Bladensburg; Washington captured and burned
Aug. 26, 1814 Village of Brookeville becomes United States capital for a day
Aug. 31, 1814 Battle of Caulk’s Field and battlefield death of Sir Peter Parker
Sept. 11, 1814 Battle of Plattsburg Bay puts Great Lakes firmly in U.S. control
Sept. 12-14, 1814 Battle of Baltimore
Dec. 24, 1814 Treaty of Ghent signed in Belgium ends War of 1812
Jan. 8, 1815 Battle of New Orleans
Feb. 16, 1815 Senate ratifies Treaty of Ghent; peace official
1817 James Madison ends second term at president
1828 Andrew Jackson, hero of New Orleans, elected president
June 28, 1836 Former president Madison dies at Montpelier
Nov. 22, 1855 Death of Miss Kitty Knight, 1812 heroine of Georgetown
April 12, 1861 Civil War begins; Fort McHenry soon becomes prison for Confederates
Jan. 1, 1863 Abraham Lincoln issues Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in Southern states
December 1865 Last remaining slaves freed in Delaware and Kentucky, eight months after end of Civil War
1905 Death of Hiram Cronk, last surviving veteran of the War of 1812
1925 Fort McHenry declared national park
1931 “The Star-Spangled Banner” becomes official national anthem by official act of Congress
1936 Death of last-known widow of a War of 1812 veteran
1961 War of 1812’s “Uncle Sam” becomes official national mascot
October 1999 Wreckage of ship burned by British found at Frenchtown
1999 Congressman Wayne T. Gilchrest urges creation of an 1812 history trail in Maryland
1999 Historic Elk Landing Foundation established; work begins to restore Fort Hollingsworth that defended against Brtitish in 1813
2004 Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley asks that the city adopt the 15-star, 15-stripe flag from the War of 1812
2005 Restoration work continues on original Star-Spangled Banner flag
2012 Bicentennial of America’s Second War of Revolution
(Editor’s note: If we have overlooked an event, please submit it in the comments section. Thank you.)
