What happened during the war

The war was fought on both land and sea and battles took place from as far north as Canada to as far south as New Orleans and Florida.

The British strategy in the war was to protect their own merchant shipping to and from Halifax, Nova Scotia and enforce a blockade of major American ports to restrict American trade.

The American strategy was to cause disruption through hit-and-run tactics and to battle British naval vessels only under favorable circumstances.

In 1813, the American forces won several important battles in the Great Lakes region but Britain still held control of the sea and blockaded the eastern seaboard.

In 1814, the Americans chose to again invade upper Canada because U.S. officials believed that if they could take upper Canada, it would force the British to cede that province to them when it came time for peace negotiations

In September of 1814, British forces launched a double offensive in the south in Georgia and the Gulf Coast.