War of 1812 | The Canadian Encyclopedia
collection

War of 1812

The War of 1812 (which lasted from 1812 to 1814) was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. As a colony of Great Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded a number of times by the Americans. The war was fought in Upper Canada, Lower Canada, on the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, and in the United States. The peace treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, largely returned the status quo. However, in Canada, the war contributed to a growing sense of national identity, including the idea that civilian soldiers were largely responsible for repelling the American invaders. In contrast, the First Nations allies of the British and Canadian cause suffered much because of the war; not only had they lost many warriors (including the great Tecumseh), they also lost any hope of halting American expansion in the west, and their contributions were quickly forgotten by their British and Canadian allies. Similarly, Black volunteers, including those in the Coloured Corps, received little recognition or reward for their service.

"The Battle of Queenston Heights" by John David

Timelines

The Battle of New Orleans
timeline

War of 1812 Timeline

The war of 1812 was a military conflict between the United States and Great Britain. As a colony of Great Britain, Canada was swept up in the War of 1812 and was invaded a number of times by the Americans. This timeline allows you to explore important events that occurred during the War of 1812 (which ended in 1815), as well as significant events that happened before and after the war.

Gallery

Show your support this school year!

Since The Canadian Encyclopedia is an approved online source for Canadian school boards (and 35% of its users are students and teachers), we are kicking off this school year by asking our supporters to start a monthly donation to help TCE reach even more users this year! Your monthly donation will help us create new articles and update existing articles and timelines, to ensure Canadian students and teachers have access to accurate and fact-checked information written and edited by Canadians.

Donate today!