War+of+1812

= War of 1812 = [|History Central: War of 1812] In order to find out more about the battles of the War of 1812, click on any of the links for the major battles of the war. Also, look on the left side of the page to find out more about other major wars and conflicts in which the U.S. was involved.

[|War of 1812 Website] This "1812 experience" includes many articles, book reviews and offers, extensive links, and the largest collection of War of 1812 images on the internet. Event listings, news and unit websites dealing with the exciting reenactment hobby can also be found here. Make your computer come alive with the sounds of the past by visiting our sound clip gallery. If you are up to the challenge, test your knowledge of the War of 1812 by taking a quiz. Finally for the armchair general we provide unique animated battle maps that give you a quick understanding of a particular clash of arms during the war.

[|Official British Account of the Capture of Washington, D.C.] Read about the capture and burning of Washington, D.C. from the British point of view during the War of 1812.

[|NPR- Breaking: British Burn Washington...2 Centuries Ago] If you would like to hear how this key event of the War of 1812 may have sounded if there were radio news reports, click on the link above.

[|Archives of Ontario, Canada: War of 1812] This exhibit focuses on the impact of the War on those living in Upper Canada at the time of the conflict and on later generations who sought ways to remember it. It documents how the war was fought both within the province and in locations beyond its borders, and it examines the War's later image in the popular imagination. The exhibit also provides the public with an opportunity to read and view documents from its rich collections, many of which have never been published.

[|History Channel: War of 1812] Watch these video clips about the people, places, and events related to the War of 1812.

[|War of 1812 animated map] Click on the link above to see an animated map of the battles of the War of 1812.

= Eyewitness Accounts = [|"Old Ironsides" Earns Its Name, 1812]

[|The British Burn Washington, D.C., 1814]

[|Dolley Madison Flees the White House, 1814]

[|The Battle of New Orleans, 1815]

= Tecumseh and the Prophet = View this Currier & Ives depiction of the Death of Tecumseh at the Battle of the Thames.

[|Tecumseh: Ohio History Central] Read more about the life and times of Tecumseh as told by the Ohio Historical Society.

[|Tecumseh: A Biography] Read the National Park Service's biography of Tecumseh.

[|Tecumseh: Shawnee Indian] Read the WildWest.org version of the biography of Tecumseh.

[|Sell a country? Why not sell air?] In the early 1800s, two Shawnee brothers, Tecumseh and "the Prophet," organized many Native American nations into a confederation. They wanted to keep white settlers from taking more Indian lands. One problem they faced was that some Indian leaders agreed to sell land to the United States. Click on the link above to read this speech in which Tecumseh argued that no one had the right to sell land since it belonged to all people.

[|Tecumseh's Speech to the Osages in the winter of 1811-1812] Read Tecumseh's speech that he gives to members of the Osage tribe in order to get them to join a confederation of tribes against the white settlers.

[|Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (the Prophet)] Click on the link above to read a speech given by Tecumseh and a speech given by his brother, Tenskwatawa (better known as "The Prophet").

[|New York Public Library Digital Gallery: Tecumseh] Click on any of the images of Tecumseh as he was portrayed by artists of this time period.

[|Reminiscences of Tecumseh's Youth] Stephen Ruddell was born about 1771 to pioneer settlers on the western frontier where Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky border one another. When he was nine, in June 1780, the settlement was attacked by British soldiers and several hundred Indians, some of whom carried him and his brother Abraham away as prisoners. Stephen and Abraham were claimed by the Shawnee and made adopted brothers of the young Tecumseh (1768-1813). After spending 17 years among the Shawnee, Ruddell rejoined his white family about 1797, and years later he wrote this memoir of his life with the famous Indian leader. Click on the link above to read about his experiences.

= The Star-Spangled Banner and Fort McHenry = [|Star-Spangled 200] Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore by visiting this website. Click on the drop down menu "Cool Links" to find out even more about this major turning point in the War of 1812 and our history as a nation.

[|Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum and Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards (Baltimore, MD)] How does the Star-Spangled Banner become an essential part of American baseball and sports events in general? Find out by clicking on the link above.

[|The Jewish Museum- Baltimore, MD] From September 2014 to August 2015, the Jewish Museum will highlight the life of Mendes Cohen, a participant in the Battle of Baltimore in 1814. Also, this exhibit will explore Jewish life in Baltimore and America in the 19th century.

[|Maryland Historical Society] The Maryland Historical Society is home to the oldest known surviving manuscript of Francis Scott Key’s “[|The Star-Spangled Banner].” Along with this national icon, the Star-Spangled Banner Gallery showcases paintings and artifacts, which tell the story of the brave Defenders of Baltimore who fought to protect our city and country from the British during the War of 1812. The Gallery also features a changing selection of items from the H. Furlong Baldwin Library’s Star-Spangled Banner sheet music collection. Currently on view is The Star-Spangled Banner. A Patriotic Song. Published by Carr Music Store in Baltimore in 1814, it is one of the few remaining copies of the 1st edition of the poem set to music we know as our national anthem. Also, view the exhibit "Woman of Two Worlds: Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte and Her Quest for an Imperial Legacy" to find out more about women in America during this time period.

[|Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture] Exhibits: For Whom it Stands and [|For Whom it Stands Too] While many Americans learned that Betsy Ross was the maker of the nation’s first flag in the 1770s, that portion of flag history continues to be debated due to lack of substantive documentation. In Maryland, during the War of 1812, flag maker Mary Pickersgill sewed the original Star-Spangled Banner in a house on the same city block as the Reginald F. Lewis Museum. Before becoming a national icon, the flag was worked on also by Grace Wisher, a young African American indentured servant in Pickersgill’s household. Wisher’s story is little known. This forthcoming exhibition from the Reginald F. Lewis Museum highlights Wisher’s contribution as it investigates the broader history and representation of the United States flag as an icon of our nation and its people.  [|Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine] Find out more about Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, September 13-14, 1814. The brave defense of the fort by 1,000 dedicated Americans inspired lawyer Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."

[|The Flag House and Star-Spangled Banner Museum] Built in 1793, the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House was the home and place of business of Mary Pickersgill, maker of the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key’s famous poem that later became our national anthem. Mary and her daughter Caroline moved into the house in 1806, along with Mary’s mother, Rebecca Young, who began the flag-making business in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War. In 1927, the house was sold to the city of Baltimore and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Association established a museum inside the historic home.

View this famous picture of the bombardment of Fort McHenry which inspired "The Star-Spangled Banner."

[|The Star-Spangled Banner: The Flag That Inspired the National Anthem] Currently, the original flag that inspired the anthem is housed at the Smithsonian Institute. Explore this Smithsonian website to find out more about the flag, the anthem, and what happened to the flag after the war ended in 1815. In particular, click on "Interact" to find out how much you know about the flag and the anthem.