War of 1812
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
June 18, 2012 |
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?
June 15, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
Document Deep Dive: The Musical History of "The Star-Spangled Banner"
Was the national anthem really set to the melody of a drinking tune? Take a closer look at the original manuscript of Francis Scott Key's song
June 13, 2012 |
By Megan Gambino
The War of 1812: 200 Years Later
What is there to remember about the battles long relegated to footnote status? More than you might think!
June 01, 2012 |
By Smithsonian magazine
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?
May 22, 2012 |
By Tony Horwitz and Brian Wolly
How Dolley Madison Saved the Day
As invading British troops approached in August 1814, the first lady coolly took command of the White House
March 2010 |
By Thomas Fleming
The Rescue of Henry Clay
A long-lost painting of the Senate's Great Compromiser finds a fitting new home in the halls of the U.S. Capitol
November 2009 |
By Fergus M. Bordewich
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
September 2004 |
By Norman Gelb
Our Flag Was Still There
It's the star-spangled banner; the anthem it inspired plays on as a musical salute to the stars and stripes
July 2000 |
By Edwards Park
The Dying Tecumseh
A sculpture in the Smithsonian collection reveals much about how the Indians of the West were viewed in the early ages of the United States
July 1995 |
By Bil Gilbert
