The War of 1812 was a conflict between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of Native American tribes against American territorial expansion, and over national honor due to humiliations on the high seas.
During the war, the British convinced many Native American tribes to join them and fight against the United States. The British promised the tribes that if they won they could create their own Native American confederacy on United States territory. A Shawnee Indian named Tecumseh led a large group of Native Americans, but the armies of American General William Henry Harrison eventually killed him at the Battle of Thames. General Harrison eventually used the fame he gained from defeating the Native Americans to run for President in 1836 and 1840 (he was elected in 1840 but died about a month later).
Battles such as the Battle of Baltimore (which inspired the lyrics of the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner") in 1813 and the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 were important events and victories for United States. However, at the Battle of Bladensburg, British armies invaded Washington, DC where they burned the White House and Capitol Building. This was an embarrassing loss for the American forces. The war eventually ended in 1815 with the Treaty of Ghent. It was signed in Ghent, Belgium and officially ended the war by returning relations between the US and Great Britain to the way they were before the war.
