The War of 1812 - American History, 1493-1945

A letter from John Thorn to Joseph E. Smith regarding the War of 1812

26 August 1814

View the letter from John Thorn to Joseph E. Smith regarding the War of 1812 in the resource

This letter between Captain John Thorn of the Virginia Militia and Joseph E. Smith, written “amidst the noise and confusion of the camp” near Richmond, Virginia, discusses the movement of troops during the War of 1812 and the rumors of the burning of Washington by the British.

The War of 1812 was a conflict between Great Britain and America, provoked by Britain’s attempts to restrict trade between America and France as part of the Napoleonic Wars, America’s desire to expand its territory (opposed by the Indigenous Peoples of the U.S. who were encouraged by the British) and the Royal Navy’s impressment of sailors from American merchant ships – forcibly placing them on British warships. A large percentage of these seamen were British subjects and it was felt in Britain that they should be serving their country in the war against France rather than working for the Americans. President James Madison asked Congress to declare war, which it did in June 1812, although members were divided in opinion as to the justification for and aims of the war, between the “War Hawks” – Anglophobic congressmen from the West and South – and merchants who were especially cautious of a conflict with Britain. American forces immediately began to attack Canada, as it was believed that the British defences there were weak, but suffered a humiliating defeat. America did fare better in the West and managed to defeat the Royal Navy several times in the early months of the war.

Once the Napoleonic Wars ended in April 1814, however, Britain could focus her attention properly on North America. States like Virginia were targeted by economic blockades and in August 1814 Washington, D.C. was captured by British troops. The soldiers had landed at Chesapeake Bay before making their way inland, and government buildings, including the White House, were burnt. The First Lady, Dolley Madison, was one of the last people to evacuate the area, leaving all personal belongings behind but rescuing a full-length portrait of George Washington to prevent its destruction. The British soldiers reportedly ate the remains of a fancy dinner abandoned at the President’s house before ransacking it and setting it on fire.

The war was ended by the Treaty of Ghent in 1815 after military progress stalled on both sides, but news of the peace took time to travel, and a British invasion force prepared to attack New Orleans, only to be defeated by General Andrew Jackson’s army. It was a status quo ante bellum peace, an ambiguous victory: although Britain agreed to leave Canada’s borders unchanged and halted plans to create an Indian State in the Northwest, America did not achieve her pre-war aims regarding impressment and maritime rights. Despite this, however, it has been argued that the War of 1812 had a real impact on America as it brought an end to the partisan fighting in government, assisted in the demise of the Federalist Party (whose opposition to the war was deemed unpatriotic) and the later victories in the conflict boosted America’s self-esteem and sense of national identity.