War of 1812 Timeline
March 4
President James Madison inaugurated
November 4
War Congress Convenes
November 7
Battle of Tippecannoe
June 18
United States declares war on Great Britain
June – August
Baltimore Riots
July 1
United States doubles Customs Duties
July 12
General William Hull enters Canada
July 17
Fort Michilimackinac surrenders to the British
July 19
1st Battle of Sacket’s Harbor
August 15
Fort Dearborn massacre
August 16
General William Hull surrenders to General Isaac Brock at Detroit
August 19
The Constitution defeats HMS Guerrière
October 13
General Isaac Brock is killed at the Battle of Queenston Heights
October 18
The Wasp defeats HMS Frolic
&
The Wasp captured by HMS Poictiers
October 25
The United States defeats HMS Macedonian
November
Madison wins reelection
&
British blockade South Carolina and Georgia
November 23
Americans retreat from eastern Canada
November 27
Americans attack outlying positions at Fort Erie
December 3
William Eustis resigns as Secretary of War
December 26
Great Britain proclaims blockade of Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
December 29
The Constitution defeats HMS Java
&
Paul Hamilton resigns as Secretary of the Navy
January 12
William Jones assumes his duties as Secretary of the Navy
January 22
Battle of Frenchtown
January 23
River Raisin massacre
February 5
John Armstrong becomes Secretary of War
February 24
The Hornet defeats HMS Peacock
March
Captain David Porter of the Essex rounds Cape Horn and sails into the Pacific to prey upon British whaling ships
March 27
Oliver Hazard Perry arrives at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania, to assume responsibility for constructing a fleet on Lake Erie
March – December
British naval forces raid in the Chesapeake Bay area
March 30
British blockade extended from Long Island to the Mississippi
April 15
Americans occupy part of west Florida
&
Wilkinson occupies Mobile
April 27
Americans capture York (Toronto)
May 1 – May 5
Siege of Fort Meigs
May 3
British burn Havre de Grace
May 26
British blockade additional middle and southern states
May 27
Americans capture Fort George
May 29
British forces repulsed at Sacket’s Harbor
June 1
HMS Shannon defeats the Chesapeake
June 6
Detachment of Americans defeated at Stoney Creek
June 22
Battle of Norfolk
June 24
Battle of Beaver Dams
June 25
British attack Hampton
July 27
Battle of Burnt Corn
August 1
Major Croghan successfully defends Fort Stephenson against British attack
August 2
Battle of Fort Stephenson
August 4
Admiral Perry gets his fleet over the bar at Presque Isle and into Lake Erie
August 30
Fort Mims massacre
September 10
Battle of Lake Erie
September 27
Harrison lands in Canada
October 5
Battle of the Thames
October 16-19
Battle of Leipzig
October 25-26
Battle of Chateauguay
November 3
Battle of Tallushatchee
November 4
Great Britain offers United States direct peace negotiations
November 9
Battle of Talladega
November 11
Battle of Chrysler’s Farm
November 16
British extend blockade to all middle and southern states
December 3 to February 5
Monroe serves as Secretary of War
December 10
Fort George evacuated and Newark burned by Americans
December 17
United States adopts embargo
December 18
Fort Niagara occupied by British
December 19-31
Lewiston, Fort Schlosser, Black Rock, and Buffalo destroyed by the British
January 22
Battle of Emuckfau
January 24
Battle of Enotachopco
March 27-28
Battle of Horseshoe Bend
March 28
HMS Phoebe and HMS Cherub defeat the Essex
April 11
Napoleon abdicates French throne
April 14
United States repeals Embargo and Nonimportation Law
April 20
HMS Orpheus defeats the Frolic
April 25 – May 30
British extend blockade to New England
April 29
The Peacock defeats HMS Epervier
June 28
The Wasp II defeats HMS Reindeer
July – September
British occupy eastern Maine
July 3
Americans capture Fort Erie
July 5
Battle of Chippewa
July 25
Battle of Lundy’s Lane
August
United States public credit collapses
&
U.S banks suspend specie payments
August 8
Peace negotiations begin in Ghent
&
Great Britain outlines initial peace terms
August 9
The Creeks sign a treaty at Fort Jackson ceding much of their land
August 13 – September 21
Siege of Fort Erie
August 14
British occupy Pensacola
August 15
Battle of Fort Erie
August 19
British land near Benedict, Maryland
August 24
Battle of Bladensburg
August 24-25
British burn Washington
August 28
British capture Alexandria, Virginia
&
Nantucket declares Neutrality
End of August
General George Prevost moves south toward Plattsburg
September 4
Armstrong resigns and Monroe takes over as Secretary of War
September 11
Battle of Plattsbugh
&
Battle of Lake Champlain
Middle of September
Prevost retreats to Canada
September 12-16
British repulsed at Mobile
September 13-14
British bombard Fort McHenry, near Baltimore
September 14
Battle of North Point, near Baltimore
&
British abandon attempt to take Baltimore
&
Francis Scott Key writes the Star Spangled Banner
September 17
Americans sortie from Fort Erie
September 26
British squadron captures General Armstrong
October 21
Great Britain offers peace on basis of uti possidetis
November 5
Americans evacuate Fort Erie
November 7
Jackson seizes Pensacola
November 11
Jackson returns to Mobile
November 22
Jackson leaves for New Orleans
November 25
British fleet sails from Jamaica for New Orleans
November 27
Great Britain drops the uti possidetis
December 14
British overwhelm American gunboats on Lake Borgne
December 15 – January 5
Hartford Convention
December 15 – February 27
United States adopts additional internal taxes
December 19
The Battle of Orleans, Massachusetts
December 23
British land their troops below New Orleans
&
General Andrew Jackson attacks in a surprise night battle
December 23 – January 1
Preliminary battles around New Orleans
December 24
Peace of Ghent signed
December 28
United States rejects conscription proposal
January 8
Americans defeat British in the Battle of New Orleans
January 11
Battle of Point Peter, Georgia
February 4
United States adopts second enemy trade law
February 7
Battle of Ice Mound, Marland
February 11
Final Battle of the War of 1812
Battle of Fort Bowyer, Alabama
February 17
United States rejects National Bank proposal
February 17
Ratifications of the Peace Treaty exchanged and President Madison declares the war at an end
1809
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
President James Madison
Click to enlarge document.
Death of General Zebulon Pike at the Battle of York
General Jacob Brown, commander of American forces at Sacket’s Harbor
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry
“Don’t Give Up the Ship.”…the dying words of Captain James Lawrence, (USS Chesapeake.) After Lawrence’s death, good friend and fellow officer, Oliver Hazard Perry, ordered a large blue battle ensign, stitched with this phrase in bold white letters. The Perry Flag was the battle flag on the Lawrence, and later was brought aboard Flagship Niagara during a victorious engagement against the British on Lake Erie in September 1813.
General Winfield Scott
“Old Fuss & Feathers”
