War of 1812 Facts for Kids

War of 181
  • Conflict Name: War of 1812
  • Conflict Start: June 18th, 1812
  • Conflict End: February 17th, 1815
  • Conflict Belligerents: United States of America and the United Kingdom
  • Conflict Winner: Neither (Military Stalemate)
  • Conflict Location: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Oceans, Eastern America and Central America
  • Conflict Deaths: 5,000+ fatalities

12 War of 1812 Facts for Kids

  1. The War of 1812 was fought between June 18th, 1812 and February 17th, 1815.
  2. This war is commonly known as the War of 1812.
  3. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the United Kingdom.
  4. The War of 1812 was fought over grievances the United States had against the United Kingdom regarding violations of U.S. maritime rights.
  5. The War of 1812 was a military stalemate, neither the United States or the United Kingdom won. Both countries signed the Treaty of Ghent, which restored relations and border lines that existed before the war started.
  6. Citizens of both countries widely believe that their country won the War of 1812.
  7. It’s estimated that between the United States and the United Kingdom there were 5,000+ military fatalities.
  8. The British invaded Washington, D.C. on August 24th, 1814, and occupied it for about 26 hours. The British set many buildings on fire, including the White House. A storm is believed to have forced their retreat. The storm was a very strong thunderstorm, potentially even a hurricane that produced a tornado. The rain from the storm help put out a lot of the fires the British started.
  9. President James Madison thought the U.S. could easily capture Canada and that was one of his first goals of the war. Ultimately, it only took the British a few months to expel the United States from Canada.
  10. At the start of the war the United States Navy only had 16 to 18 sailable ships, compared to the British Navy that had more than 600.
  11. The United Kingdom and the United States lost more soldiers to disease than in all the battles they fought.
  12. The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States of America, is from a poem written during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key, the author of the poem witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry.

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