War of 1812
The events of the War of 1812 have not been forgotten in England for they have never been known there
William Kingsford
The War of 1812 does not have the familiarity of the War of Independence or the American Civil War, and tends to be overshadowed by the Napoleonic Wars raging through Europe during the same time period. This was a war fought between Britain and the United States, involving Native American allies on both sides, with what were then the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada drawn to defend their borders against American attack.
The causes of the war were somewhat complex and have been subject to a certain amount of debate. The official justifications were laid out by President James Madison in a speech to Congress in June 1812 in which he listed America’s main grievances against the British which included the Royal Navy policy of Impressment, through which American ships were intercepted on the open seas in order to ‘reclaim’ any British sailors on board. It was not uncommon for British sailors to be recruited into American service where the pay and conditions were said to be preferable. With the ongoing war against Napoleon in Europe, Britain could ill afford to lose any of their fighting force to the Americans. Madison also complained about illegal blockades by the British – this was related to a series of trading decrees imposed by both Britain and France in the preceding years as part of their ongoing war. America tried to remain neutral but this proved difficult. In 1807, Britain issued Orders in Council which forbade shipping to France and later installed Royal Navy frigates outside American ports to search ships for goods headed for their enemy.
The Americans were also suspicious of the British government’s renewed alliance with the indigenous tribes of the Northwest Territory – shown in brown on the map. Clashes were increasing between colonists eager to settle the territory and tribes such as the Shawnee, Potawatomi and Delawares, some of whom had already been displaced by previous wars and who were determined to hold onto their homelands. The British saw the Native American tribes as a useful source of support in safeguarding the Canadian border and their colonial lands on the other side. British agents regularly gave gifts to the tribes which included guns and ammunition. The Shawnee leader Tecumseh had formed a confederacy of warriors from different tribes united by anger at the continuous loss of land to the Americans and began a campaign of raids against American posts in the region. Once the war began, the majority of indigenous tribes in the region fought on the side of the British, hoping that a victory against the Americans would secure the land against further settlement.
There are two highly significant sources of information regarding the War of 1812 held at West Sussex Record Office, which offer insight into different aspects of the conflict:
The Parham Papers include correspondence and papers belonging to Lieutenant-Colonel Cecil Bisshopp (1783-1813), who was posted to command British troops, local militia and Native Americans in the defence of Upper Canada in the early months of the war.
The Stanhope-Lovell Manuscripts include the papers of William Stanhope-Badcock (Add Mss 1374-1394), a Royal Navy Captain (later Vice-Admiral) and veteran of the Napoleonic wars. After serving in various campaigns in Europe, he arrived in the United States in the summer of 1814 where he participated in the campaign in the Chesapeake Bay and the subsequent invasion of Washington.
