War of 1812 Quiz

Tecumseh was a Shawnee war chief who recruited warriors from the Iroquois, Chickamauga, Ojibway, and others tribes. He was killed at the Battle of the Thames in Canada in 1813. Pontiac led a rebellion in the 1700s while Geronimo and Sitting Bull fought in the later 1800s.

Lawrence joined the US Navy in 1798 and was in command of the USS Chesapeake when he encountered the British frigate HMS Shannon near Boston in June 1813. Lawrence was mortally wounded during the battle but urged his men to keep fighting. However, the British succeeded in taking the Chesapeake as a prize.

The British government focused most of its attention on the threat posed by Napoleon. The Crimean and Opium Wars occurred later in the 1800s, while the French and Indian War was an 18th-century conflict.

Perry joined the US Navy as a midshipman in 1799 at the age of 13. He commanded the American squadron during the Battle of Lake Erie. Although his flagship was heavily damaged, Perry transferred his flag to another ship and eventually captured the entire British fleet.

On January 18, 1812, American troops forced British and Native American troops to retreat during a battle near present-day Monroe, Michigan. However, the British and their Indian allies counter-attacked four days later and surprised the Americans. More than 500 were captured and several dozen were killed by Indians after they had surrendered.

Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner” while watching British ships bombard Fort McHenry near Baltimore in September 1814. It was set to music and was often performed at public events during the 1800s. In 1931, it became the national anthem.

In August 1814, British troops attacked Washington D.C. in retaliation for the American attack on Port Dover several months earlier. They burned a number of public buildings, but less than a day later a heavy storm extinguished the flames.

At Chateauguay, a British force of 1,600 repelled more than 4,000 Americans. A few weeks later at Crysler's Farm, 900 British troops once again defeated a much larger American force. These humiliating defeats demoralized the American army, which withdrew from Canada.

The Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812. Brock was killed while leading a charge by the 49th Regiment of Foot. Despite his death, the British defeated the larger American force and captured more than 800 men. However, Brock was an excellent leader and his death was a great loss to the British forces in Canada.

Scott sought the Whig Party’s nomination in 1840 but William Henry Harrison was nominated instead. Scott won the nomination in 1852 but lost to the Democratic candidate. Harrison won the presidency in 1840 but died shortly after his inauguration. Jackson, a Democrat, ran for president in 1824 but was defeated. He won in 1828 and was re-elected in 1832.

Tecumseh led a contingent of Indian warriors during the British attack on Fort Detroit. He paraded his warriors in front of the garrison in order to make it seem like his force was much larger than it really was. Brock told the American commander, General William Hull, that he was unable to prevent the Indians from committing atrocities. Hull surrendered his garrison of more than 2,000 men even though he outnumbered the attackers.

The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. On September 11, 1814, an American naval force won a decisive victory against a British fleet. The American victory helped lead to the conclusion of peace negotiations between Britain and the United States later that year.

Andrew Jackson led an attack on the Red Sticks (a faction of the Creek Indian tribe) who had fortified their village at Horseshoe Bend. An initial artillery bombardment had little effect, but Jackson ordered a bayonet charge. The Americans stormed the village and killed more than 800 Creek warriors during five hours of fighting.

Built in England in 1809, HMS Macedonian was a 38-gun frigate. In October 1812, Macedonian encountered the 44-gun USS United States. The Macedonian was quickly disabled and was taken to Rhode Island as a prize. She served in the US Navy until 1828.

Oliver Hazard Perry scored a lopsided victory against the British fleet in the Great Lakes. A number of naval actions occurred in the Atlantic. The American frigate Essex harassed British shipping in the Pacific as well, but was captured off the coast of Chile in 1814.

Jackson commanded a mixture of 4,700 American militia, Native American warriors, and pirates during the Battle of New Orleans. They successfully repulsed an attack by more than 14,000 British troops. Although the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812, had already been signed, the battle boosted American pride and made Jackson a national hero.