On July 12, 1812, US forces under General Hull invaded Canada. The invasion was met with fierce opposition and American forces are forced to withdraw.

History Central

Hull thought that he could move east from Detroit and occupy the lower portion of what is now Ontario. He was unprepared for the resistance he met, from both British regulars and local militias. His retreat from Canada continued past Detroit and to Pennsylvania. He left the settlers of the Midwest unprotected and open to raids by the British and their Indian allies. This would not be the last time in the War of 1812 that a general’s ego played a key role in a loss on either side.

From 1812 to 1815, the United States fought Great Britain, its colonists in Canada and its Native American allies. New York State was at the center of the struggle, with both land and sea borders with Canada and seacoast on the Atlantic Ocean. The bicentennial begins in 2012 and will include events in and around the state.

June 18, 1812 – Congress declares war on Great Britain.

July 19, 1812 – USS Oneida drives off several British vessels attempting to attack Sackets Harbort, NY.

September 21, 1812 – American troops cross St. Lawrence River and burn the Gananoque military depot.

October 18, 1812 – Maj. Gen. Stephen van Rensselaer fords the Niagara River near Lewiston, NY, with nearly 1,300 troops. An attempt to take the Canadian town of Queenston fails. 300 Americans are killed and 1,000 taken captive.

February 7, 1813 – New York militia capture Brockville, Canada.

February 22, 1813 – British raid and burn Ogdensburg, New York.

April 27, 1813 – Americans sack York, now Toronto.

May 27, 1813 – Americans capture Fort George in Canada.

May 29, 1813 – British attack Sackets Harbor Naval Base and are driven off.

August 7-10, 1813 – naval battle at the mouth of the Niagara River. British capture two U.S. ships.

September 11, 1813 – inconclusive naval battle off the mouth of the Genesee River

September 28, 1813 – naval battle in York Bay. Storm forces the two sides apart.

November 1813 – British bombard U.S. positions near French Creek, Clayton, NY. U.S. Army artillery forces one British vessel to scuttle.

November 11, 1813 – British troops pursue Americans south from Sackets Harbor and are met in battle at Crysler’s Field. Americans lose 120 men and are forced to abandon hopes of attacking Montreal.

December 19, 1813 – British capture Fort Niagara and raid the eastern shore of the Niagara River.

December 30, 1813 – British cross the Niagara. American forces fail to halt them in a battle near Black Rock. British burn Buffalo and Black Rock.

May 5, 1814 – British attack Fort Oswego. They take the fort and the town and then sail back to Canada.

July 1814 – American troops cross the Niagara again. They recapture Fort Erie. In a battle with British regulars at Chippewa Creek, the American force their retreat.

July 24, 1814 – the invading Americans meet British and Canadian forces at Lundy’s Lane. One of the largest battles of the war, both sides claimed victory. The cost was steep, some 1,600 casualties on both sides, and the Americans retreated to Fort Erie.

September 6-11, 1814 – British troops advance to the village of Plattsburgh, N.Y. The two sides fought a naval battle on Lake Champlain which the British lost. The British troops retired to Canada without further combat.

February 18, 1815 – President James Madison signs the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war of 1812.

May 23-30, 2012 – Fleet Week in New York City will include bicentennial events for the War of 1812

September 12-17 – Buffalo, New York to celebrate the bicentennial of the War of 1812