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War of 1812 Begins
June 18, 2022
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 18 of June, repeating indefinitely
On June 18, 1812, the War of 1812 began as James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain. The declaration came after British ships attempted to restrict American trade and impressed American sailors into the British Navy. The war was relatively brief, ending in 1815, but had impact as a boost to national unity and patriotism and proof that the young United States could hold its own in foreign conflict. ⛵️⚓️⛵️
Did you know? Government leaders, including James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, thought that the United States could easily invade and take Canada in the north. Jefferson even remarked that the invasion of Canada would “be a mere matter of marching.”
They were very wrong however – along with the British, local French-Canadians, former American loyalists, and Native Americans all resisted invasion vigorously and it failed.
USS Constitution Escaping from the British, July 1812, Julian Oliver Davidson, 1884 (USS Constitution Museum Collection)
