A Timeline of the Major Battles of the War of 1812

A Timeline of the Major Battles of the War of 1812

Mackinac Island

2 facts:

- The British had two strong

leaders: Sir Isaac Brock and

Tecumseh. Together they

set out to attack Fort

Michilimackinac on

Mackinac Island.

- Even though the Americans

had already declared war

on the British, the American

commander on Mackinac

Island was caught off guard

when the British attacked.

1 observation:

- communication was

very poor between the

United States and Britain.

Detroit

2 facts:

- The British, with a force

of 400 soldiers (100

regulars and 300 militia)

fought a U.S force of 2500.

- Brock dressed the militia

in red uniforms, and had

each man build his own

cooking fire.

1 observation:

- Sir Isaac Brock shows that

he is able to use clever tactics

to win a battle, even when

the odds are against him and

his army.

Queenston Heights

2 facts:

- In October 1812, American

troops came across the Niagra

River into Upper Canada. In

Queenston, they captured the

high grounds where the British

had been firing from.

- Brock was killed by a

sniper as soon as he entered

the battle.

1 observation:

- The British army shows

that they have lots of courage

as they did not surrender even

when their leader was killed.

York (Toronto)

2 facts:

- In April 1813, 14 American

ships with 1700 soldiers

sailed across Lake Ontario.

- They burned the town and

sailed back home, proving they

were capable of attacking the

heart of Upper Canada.

1 observation:

- Even though the British had

defeated the Americans on

several occasions, the Americans

did not get discouraged or give

up hope, they kept trying to

succeed.

Stoney Creek

2 facts:

- In June 1813, British

forces made a night

attack on American forces.

- Since it was dark, the

British soldiers missed the

American camp, and many

British and American

soldiers died.

1 observation:

- The British did not think

this attack through. In my

opinion, they should have

waited until morning to attack,

because in the darkness they

ended up losing many of their

own soldiers.

Beaver Dams

(Thorold)

2 facts:

- On June 24, 1813, 550

American soldiers were

camping out at Queenston.

The commnder and his

officers were staying in the

house of James and Laura

Secord.

- Laura overheard Boerstler's

plans for attacking the British

and travelled by foot to tell

Colonel Fitzgibbon the news.

1 observation:

- The Americans were so

scared of the Mohawks that

they were willing to surrender

from the battle to not have to

face them.

Crysler's Farm

2 facts:

- In November 1813, more

than 13 000 American

soldiers advanced down the

St. Lawrence River towards

Montreal.

- A force of 900, including

British soldiers, militia, and

First Nations blocked the

path of the Americans. They

eventually forced the

Americans to retreat across

the border.

1 observation:

- This battle proves that the

British are a very strong army,

because a combined force of

900 British soldiers, militia,

and First Nations were able to

defeat an American force of

2000.

Lundy's Lane

2 facts:

- On June 25, 1814, a force

of 1500 Americans attacked

a British force of 1700.

- In the end, each side had

lost more than 800 soldiers,

and the American soldiers

retreated, never coming back

to invade Cananda again.

1 observation:

- This was a very tragic battle

as both sides each lost more

than 800 soldiers. Even

though the Americans were

fighting with a smaller force,

they showed courage by

keeping the battle going long

into the night.

Washington and

Baltimore

2 facts:

- In August 1814, British

forces attacked and burned

Washington. The White

House was destroyed.

- They attempted to do the

same thing in Baltimore.

1 observation:

- With this attack the British

proved that they too were

capable of attacking and

burning a city.