How Canada Celebrates the War of 1812
The Rodney Dangerfield of wars in the United States, the 19th-century conflict is given great respect by our Northern neighbors
By John Hanc
The Legend of Dolley Madison’s Red Velvet Dress
Before the burning of the White House, the First Lady saved some red draperies. Could she have made a dress from them?
By Megan Gambino
The 10 Things You Didn’t Know About the War of 1812
Why did the country really go to war against the British? Which American icon came out of the forgotten war?
By Tony Horwitz and Brian Wolly
The War of 1812: Remember the Raisin!
The war's battle cry, along with almost everything else about it, has been forgotten for far too long
By Tony Horwitz
How Dolley Madison Saved the Day
As invading British troops approached in August 1814, the first lady coolly took command of the White House
By Thomas Fleming
Francis Scott Key, the Reluctant Patriot
The Washington lawyer was an unlikely candidate to write the national anthem; he was against America’s entry into the War of 1812 from the outset
By Norman Gelb
The Dying Tecumseh
A sculpture depicting the death of the legendary Shawnee warrior reveals much about how the Indians of the West were viewed in the early ages of the United States
By Bil Gilbert
Star-Spangled Banner Back on Display
After a decade’s conservation, the flag that inspired the National Anthem returns to its place of honor on the National Mall
By Robert M. Poole
The Story Behind the Star Spangled Banner
How the flag that flew proudly over Fort McHenry inspired an anthem and made its way to the Smithsonian
By Cate Lineberry
Featured Video
The Funeral Parade for the Last Veteran of the War of 1812
In 1905, New York City hosted a grand procession for the last living soldier of a war that ended 90 years earlier
By Courtesy of Library of Congress
