Did you know that today, June 18, is the 200th anniversary of the start of the War of 1812? I kind of like the fact that there is an anniversary for me to think about this. I have to admit that this is one war that I didn't really pay much attention to learning about in school. Apparently, I am not the only one who doesn't remember learning much about this war. Slate.com wrote an entire article about it.
It was on this date 200 years ago that James Madison signed a declaration of war against Britain. Some considered this war to be a "second war of independence." It was through this war that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner and Washington D.C. was set on fire by the British. The most unfortunate and biggest "loser" in this war were the Native Americans who lost protection from the British to block the westward expansion of America.
The following are some links to find out more about the history of the War of 1812:
Wikipedia's War of 1812 entry
The History Channel's piece on the War of 1812
10 things you didn't know about the War of 1812
5 Tips for the War of 1812 Bicentennial Party You're Probably Planning from mentalfloss.com
No comments:
Post a Comment