The Bicentennial of 1812

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Print, British valour and Yankee boasting, 1813, George Cruikshank, LoC
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How much do your students know about the War of 1812? Why was the war fought? Where did the battles take place? Who won? This year marks the bicentennial of this often-overlooked war, which helped shape the identities and boundaries of North American nations in the early years of U.S. independence from Great Britain. To commemorate the bicentennial and raise awareness of this period in U.S. (and Canadian) history, organizations across the country (and across the northern border) are creating teaching resources and planning events for 2012.

Interested in exploring maritime history with your students? The fledgling U.S. Navy played an important role in this war. Visit Ourflagwasstillthere.org, the official U.S. Navy hub for bicentennial events and resources. This website storehouses links to War of 1812 materials across the Internet, including performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner," essays on historical subjects, videos, archeology updates, educational resources, and more. Don't forget to check the dates when tall ships will visit 12 cities pivotal to the war. Will the ships sail anywhere near you?

While you may not be on the Navy's route, you may still teach near historic sites related to the War of 1812. Take a look! Many such sites have commemorative and educational events planned, and some offer online educational resources, as well. Here are some examples:

  • The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail offers an educators resource guide and short essays on historical topics. A National Park System work in progress, this trail will unite War of 1812 historic sites throughout the Chesapeake region.
  • Maryland's Bicentennial Commission has created a list of Maryland historic sites related to 1812. The commission's website also rounds up resources for teachers, including links to lesson plans and primary sources, and provides a downloadable Teacher Resource Guide. Maryland's Fort McHenry, the fort made famous by "The Star-Spangled Banner," also offers lesson plans. (Learn more about the fort on its official National Park Service website.)
  • In Massachusetts, the USS Constitution Museum remembers the place of tall ships in the War of 1812 with on-site events and the online exhibit A Sailor's Life for Me!
  • The Michigan Bicentennial Commission lists Michigan historical sites and links to War of 1812 lesson plans and teaching resources.
  • The Ohio Bicentennial Commission website lists 1812 resources, events, and related Ohio historic sites. Apply for the Ohio Historical Society's National Endowment for the Humanities-sponsored workshop, "The War of 1812 in the Great Lakes and Western Territories," and explore some of those sites while learning content and new teaching strategies!
  • Virginia's Bicentennial Commission website lists War of 1812 historic sites in Virginia and provides information about historical figures and events from the war. Check out Colonial Williamsburg's lesson plan on the influence of economics on the war, as well.

Don't limit your search for resources to the U.S.! Online, you can find resources created by Canada for the bicentennial as well. How do the stories and viewpoints in these resources differ from those in resources created by organizations in the U.S.? Visit 1812, a bi-national U.S./Canadian effort, lists historic sites related to the War of 1812 and provides a starting point for exploring Canadian historic sites and resources. For instance, the bicentennial website of Amherstburg, Ontario, features an essay on the War of 1812, as well as an interactive map describing historic points in the town.

Smallwood State Park Retreat House [MD]

Description

Smallwood's Retreat is the 1760 home of General William Smallwood, the highest ranking Revolutionary War officer from Maryland and three-time governor. From this site, Smallwood operated a tobacco plantation, which at one point held 56 slaves and indentured servants, until his death in 1792. The interior is supplied with 18th-century furniture which matches the estate inventory.

The site offers period rooms and tours led by costumed interpreters. Tours are available April 27th through October seventh.

Point Lookout State Park [MD]

Description

Point Lookout State Park is a peninsula, initially explored by John Smith in 1612. The site suffered British raids during both the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. The use of the word "lookout" in the park's name originates in the peninsula's use as a watch station for British naval activity within the Chesapeake Bay. Still later, the site was used to contain Confederate prisoners of war between 1863 and 1865. Several of the prison guards were African Americans, previously enslaved in the South. Today, features in the park include a U.S. Navy lighthouse; Civil War-era earthworks from Fort Lincoln; reconstructed barracks, officer's quarters, and the partial prison pen; and graves, now open, which originally held Confederate dead.

The park offers exhibits, a nature center, outdoor activities, and self-guided tours of Fort Lincoln.

Point State Park [PA]

Description

Point State Park is located in central Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of the Ohio, Allegheny, and Monongahela rivers. The Park is home to a partially restored Fort Pitt, which houses the Fort Pitt Museum and the Fort Pitt Blockhouse, the oldest authentic building in Western Pennsylvania.

The Fort Pitt museum offers guided tours, field trip programs, presentations and exhibits. The Fort Pitt Blockhouse is open to the public year round and offers self guided tours. The website offers visitor information and a basic history of the site while the Fort Pitt Museum website offers lesson plans and field trip guides.

Fort Pitt Museum [PA]

Description

Situated in the recreated Monongahela Bastion at Point State Park, the Fort Pitt Museum commemorates the strategic importance of the Forks of the Ohio during the Great War for Empire in which British, French, Colonial, and Native American forces struggled for control of North America. Through exhibits and programs, the museum also addresses the important role of Fort Pitt during the American Revolution and the early development of the city of Pittsburgh. The site presents tours, exhibits, educational programs, and publications to broaden understanding of the significance of the area known as "the Point." In meeting this goal, Fort Pitt Museum closely examines the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, the various military fortifications established on the site, the many cultures that influenced the development of the region, and the importance of the fur trade and other early commerce.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional recreational and educational events.

Catoctin Furnace [MD]

Description

The Catoctin Iron Furnace operated from 1776 until 1903, and is located in Cunningham Falls State Park. The furnace site was once a booming industrial complex and community, and utilized the surrounding woodlands for fuel provision. Today, the state park encompasses both the old furnace and the surrounding landscape, and offers visitors an impressive variety of outdoor activities, from hiking to fishing. In addition, visitors can explore much of the Catoctin Furnace historic site.

The site offers visitor information and maps for the state park, along with a fairly detailed history of the furnace.

Deshler-Morris House [PA]

Description

The Deshler-Morris House, or Germantown White House, is the oldest official presidential residence. It was utilized by George Washington during the 1793 Philadelphia outbreak of Yellow Fever and the following summer.

The house offers exhibits and period rooms.

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