War of 1812

While Britain was fearful of Napoleon's attack on British soil with the Napoleonic Wars raging across Europe, especially with the terrible and sad invasion of Russia... there was a slightly different war being waged on the home front. The War of 1812 was the only war declared by The United States of America (by President James Madison) that was lost. Apparently Britain declared restrictions on trade that America protested. After a time of American trade ships being captured by England, we declared war and lost terribly. The major events that occurred during this great American loss were the British retaliation with the burning of the newly constructed Presidential White House and Capital Building in Washington D.C.

Another American tradition spurred from this infamous war was The Star Spangled Banner, our national anthem. While the British Navy was attempting to attack Fort McHenry , Francis Scott Key (an amateur poet witnessing the attack) was inspired to write the verse to this, then popular British drinking song, while witnessing the famous flag being raised made by our triumphant Americans... sadly, as stated before, we did not win the war!