Maryland Manual On-Line - www.mdmanual.net

MARYLAND AT A GLANCE

HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY

MARYLAND IN THE WAR OF 1812

The second war between England and America is commonly known as the War of 1812, even though it lasted almost three years. Tensions between England and the United States had been building for years, particularly since the beginning of the Napoleonic War in 1803.

PRELUDE TO WAR
At war with England, Napoleon sold all French territory west of the Mississippi River to the United States in 1803. The sale helped subsidize the French war effort, and more than doubled the size of the United States. The Louisiana Purchase agreement also included some lands disputed with England along the Canadian border.

At war with France, England faced an increasing problem with desertions, particularly in the Royal Navy. To deal with the problem, England implemented a policy of boarding any vessels they encountered, and impressing any deserters found aboard. Frequently, the British boarded American trade ships and seized crew members, including American citizens falsely identified as former British sailors.

In an effort to stop the British and French seizure of American vessels, the U.S. Congress, beginning in 1807, enacted a series of embargos, port closures, and trade restrictions. These included the Embargo Act of 1807, the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809, and Macon’s Bills. These acts met with little acknowledgment from either England or France, with both nations continuing to seize American ships and crew. With native uprisings in the west attributed to British instigation, and England's presence in the colony of Canada, British policy and actions grew intolerable to the Americans.

In June of 1807, the U.S.S. Chesapeake refused to allow British sailors to board in search of deserters. Shots were fired, and the Chesapeake was forced to surrender. Thereafter, the British boarded, and seized four men, three of whom were Americans. Outraged, the U.S. Congress demanded reparations, and a cessation of impressment.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE WAR

1812

In the summer of 1812, President Madison met with Congress to declare war on England. The United States accused England of trade restrictions to discourage trade with France, impressment of U.S. citizens by the British Navy, and British instigation and armament of natives against American settlers. With this pronouncement, as well as a failed American strike into Canada in August, English and American hostilities and encounters became more violent and costly. Although hampered by an ongoing war with France, England immediately began fortifications, and added extra garrisons along the American and Canadian border, and the Great Lakes. A second failed invasion of Canada in October, along with the British capture of Detroit, left American forces at a disadvantage at the beginning of 1813.

1813

It was early spring when the war with the British became a reality for Maryland residents. Beginning the year with a strong hold on the Canadian border, British forces were mobilized towards the Chesapeake Bay. For years, ships launched from Baltimore Harbor had harried the British fleet, and the British had labeled Baltimore as a den of privateers and pirates. In an effort to quell such assaults, as well as hamper any efforts to transport goods or troops by sea, the British Navy established a blockade along much of the eastern seaboard. In March, the British sailed frigates and other warships up the Chesapeake. These ships allowed the British to land troops quickly and easily on either the eastern or western shores of Maryland. Within a month of establishing the blockade, British troops launched sorties inland.

As the Chesapeake Campaign of 1813 allowed no clear victories, American forces fared better on the frontier. While land forces gained little ground, American naval vessels won substantial victories on the Great Lakes. With Lake Erie under American control, British and native forces on the western front were unable to receive supplies or reinforcements. While the British were committed in the west, the American Army launched an attack on the Canadian capital of York (now Toronto). A clear victory for the Americans, the army looted and burned a number of key buildings, including the city’s Parliament buildings.

1814

The campaigns of 1814 were equally victory and defeat. With American forces gaining further ground in the north and west, British forces redoubled efforts in the Chesapeake. With the defeat of Napoleon in Europe, England was able to send an additional 15,000 troops to America. Bearing York in mind, the British used Maryland as a staging ground for a major assault against Washington and Baltimore. While British forces were able to seize and burn Washington with little difficulty, the secondary assault on Baltimore failed to gain even modest success. Though British forces assaulted the City from land and sea, Baltimore repelled the attack for three days before the British withdrew.

1815

Despite the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814, the War continued. Due to the slow relay of communication at the time, fighting continued until even after news reached America. The most famous post-Treaty battle was the battle of New Orleans, but many more were fought from Maine to Alabama, including the Battle of the Ice Mound in Maryland. There, American militia crossed the frozen Chesapeake Bay to attack British barges iced in at Taylor's Island. On February 16, Congress ratified the Treaty, officially ending the War. Though a number of native tribes continued to fight in the west, the British thereafter withdrew from the United States, without further conflict.
While the War of 1812 lasted for almost three years, little changed upon its conclusion. With Napoleon exiled, and a new French government formed, England ceased interuption of trade routes. Even though impressment had not been addressed in the Treaty of Ghent, its practice effectively had ended with the conclusion of the Napoleonic War.

In the United States, native uprisings continued, but without British support. Soon, England and America both returned land and prisoners taken during the War, and reestablished trade.

Maryland Archives
Maryland Historical Societies
Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@mdarchives.state.md.us

© Copyright Maryland State Archives