Get Nebula with 50% off annual subscription with my link: https://go.nebula.tv/realtimehistory Watch History's Most Daring Raids on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/realtimehistory/historys-most-daring-raids The War of 1812 broke out after a series of escalations between Great Britain and the still young United States. The impressment of American sailors into the Royal Navy desperate to crew their ships in the ongoing war against Napoleon, the question if the US could trade with Britain and France at the same time and thus profit of the war, all came to a head after failed negotiations. » SUPPORT US https://patreon.com/realtimehistory https://nebula.tv/realtimehistory » THANK YOU TO OUR CO-PRODUCERS Mike Gloudemans, George Durrett, Luis Gonzalez, Mike Cumings, Jr., Charles Shananaquet II, Joel Sanchez, shane cawthon, Andrew Thomas Mooney, Chris Rohde, Bruce D, Jim Frame, Glenn Sugden, Lisa Anderson, George Haramundanis, G S, Kempf Mario, jhgBo8jigr hzufjkl, Gayle Elizabeth, Glenn G Webb, Stephen D Nugent PsyD, Daniel L Garza, Chris Daley, Simen Røste, Amy Williams, Jim F Barlow, Taylor Allen, Adam Smith, Josh Bruder, Konstantin Bredyuk, Richard L Benkin, Matt, Rob Carle, Murray Godfrey, Jan, Gage Manthey, Theodore Patrick Shannon, Bruce G. Hearns, Stephanie Schindhelm, Paul Wilcox, Brad Durbin, Fogeltje, » SOURCES Benn, Carl. “The War of 1812”, Osprey Publishing, 2024 Bickham, Troy. “The Weight of Vengeance: The United States, The British Empire and the War of 1812”, Oxford University Press, 2017 Esarey, Logan. “Messages and Letters of William Henry Harrison: Volume 1, 1800-1811”, Indiana Historical Commission, 1922 Green, John Richard. “History of the English People – Volume 4”, MacMillan and Co., 1883 Latimer, Jon. “1812: War with America”, Belknap Press, 2010 Perkins, Bradford. “Prologue to War: England and the United States 1805-1812", The University of California Press, 1961 “The trial of John Wilson, alias Jenkin Ratford, for mutiny, desertion and contempt: to which are subjoined, a few cursory remarks”, John Howe and Son, 1807 Whickar, J. Wesley. “Shabonee’s Account of Tippecanoe” Indiana Magazine of History, Vol. 17, No. 4, 1921 Woods, David. “Free Trade and Sailors’ Rights”, 1812-1815 »CREDITS Presented by: Jesse Alexander Written by: Mark Newton Director: Toni Steller Editing: Toni Steller Motion Design: Toni Steller Mixing, Mastering & Sound Design: http://above-zero.com Research by: Adam Franti, Mark Newton, Jesse Alexander Illustrator: Juan Gomez Cabello https://www.artstation.com/juangomezcabello Fact checking: Florian Wittig Executive Producer: Florian Wittig Channel Design: Simon Buckmaster Contains licensed material by getty images, picture alliance, and Reuters Maps: MapTiler/OpenStreetMap Contributors & GEOlayers3 Music Library: Epidemic Sound All photos and film in our documentaries are authentic historical footage. We do not use generative AI to create new assets. However, we may use AI tools to upscale or clean up certain assets without distorting or compromising the original image. All rights reserved - Real Time History GmbH 2026
ADVERTISEMENT
Given the importance of this war to my native Canada, this was a fun and meaningful video for us to work on. Hope you enjoy and learn from it.
The 1812 War is the one that I always remember that happened but never remember any reason why happened.
My dream video is here now we need a series.
As a Canadian from the former front lines of this war(Windsor-Essex) I’m excited for the future episodes
Sir Isaac Brock famously died in combat in this war
I have been begging for Jesse/RTH to make more Napoleon content ever since their excellent “Napoleon’s Downfall” series was prematurely canceled. And while this isn’t exactly the same thing, it does give me hope!
Very underated War, especially when it comes to the Great lakes Naval battles and the batttle of New Orleans, along with the White House getting burned 🔥.
I taught middle school for 20 years, working in different districts and using different textbooks. The one commonality was any real depth of instruction about the War of 1812. Heck, I even worked with a highly regarded "history guru" who said students didn't need to know anything about the war because it wasn't important. That guy won history teacher of the year once & has a school named after him. Is it really any wonder why Americans are oblivious to the causes of the War of 1812?
The war of 1812 highlights the fundamental flaw of most wars. Why? Because too many times they end by one or both sides accepting concessions that they could have just accepted to avoid the war.
Huge War of 1812 geek. I have visited several battlefields and other historic sites and have over 50 books about the war. Looking forward to its coverage here.
The Napoleonic Wars were curiously absent in my U.S. history classes. No one mentioned that Napoleon and not one of the King Louis’s sold us Louisiana. Nor did they talk about the war of 1812 being a theater of the Napoleonic wars. Why? No idea. But American History as taught in the U.S. has gaps so wide you could sail the entire royal navy through them side by side.
Get Nebula with 50% off annual subscription with my link: /realtimehistory Watch History's Most Daring Raids on Nebula: /realtimehistory/historys-most-daring-raids
To most of us Americans, The War of 1812 is the most forgotten war in American History, unless you are right here in Baltimore, Maryland.
I think the Louisiana Purchase you mention completely ignores the disaster in Haiti and the Haitian Revolution (ending in 1804), with the French/Napoleon giving up on the idea of a Caribbean empire. The French lost something like 40-50k soliders. This is more than would be lost at Waterloo
As a Canadian that lives in the region where most of the conflict and engagements took place, the War of 1812 is one of my favorite wars to research on. It's such an underrated conflict that deserves more attention in the history books.
4:58 Brits accuse the US of "profiteering" ..... Don't hate the player limey.... Hate the game...
During the Peninsula Campaign, Wellesley wrote passes for American ships that supplied his army with grain and other foods. In other words, show your pass to the Royal Navy when boarded and you were free to go. The American ship captains skirted the Embargo Act 'cause they were not sailing to the UK or France but to Portugal.
Intriguing! Thank you
Salisbury Price Humphries? Glad I didn't go through elementary school with that name.
Great doc, loved all the artwork and cartoons from the time