Illustration: "Battle of New Orleans, January 1815." Copy of lithograph by Kurz and Allison, published 1890. Credit: National Archives and Records Administration; Wikimedia Commons.

The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson’s Triumph

By Tony Pettinato on January 8, 2018

An article about Andrew Jackson’s victory over the British at the Battle of New Orleans on 8 January 1815... (Read More)

Detail from an illustration: “Drawing of a Forsyth rifleman at French Creek with Bartlett’s Point in background and British war ship.” Source: Thousand Island Life.

My Ancestor Died in the War of 1812

By Thomas Jay Kemp on December 8, 2017

I recently discovered that my ancestor Tristram C. Goodwin died in the War of 1812 by searching for him using GenealogyBank and free sources online... (Read More)

Illustration: General Andrew Jackson leads his troops at the Battle of New Orleans, War of 1812, by Edward Percy Moran. Credit: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

War of 1812 Recruitment Advertisements: What Induced Your Ancestor to Serve?

By Mary Harrell-Sesniak on March 28, 2017

In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to find recruitment ads that induced men to enlist in the War of 1812... (Read More)

Illustration: "Capture and Burning of Washington by the British, in 1814," from an 1876 publication. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.

British Burn Washington, D.C., during the War of 1812

By Tony Pettinato on August 24, 2016

An article about the British burning Washington, D.C., on 24 August 1814 during the War of 1812... (Read More)

Painting: "USS Chesapeake" by by F. Muller, c. 1900. Credit: Naval History & Heritage Command, United States Navy; Wikimedia Commons.

Dying Captain’s Last Words: ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship!’

By Tony Pettinato on June 1, 2016

An article about the War of 1812 naval battle between USS Chesapeake and HMS Shannon, and American Captain James Lawrence’s famous last words... (Read More)

A Native American Revolutionary War Veteran’s Final Request

By Thomas Jay Kemp on June 10, 2015

When I am gone, beat the drum and fire the guns. ~ Captain and Chief Tishomingo As we get closer to July 4th, we think back on the stories of our American ancestors who fought for our freedom in the Revolutionary War. This old newspaper obituary tells us about the story of one of... (Read More)

Your Uncle, My Uncle, Every American’s Uncle: Uncle Sam!

By Scott Phillips on September 30, 2014

In this article, Scott Phillips searches old newspapers to learn more about the origins and history of an American icon: Uncle Sam... (Read More)

Old Obituary Tells War of 1812 Veteran’s Story

By Thomas Jay Kemp on September 26, 2014

Here is the old obituary of Captain Ambrose Spencer (1795-1814), a young man who fought and died fighting the British during the War of 1812. This obituary from the 1800s was a good newspaper research find. The veteran’s obituary was published in this Bennington, Vermont, newspaper because his brother John Canfield Spencer (1788-1855) was... (Read More)

Illustration: "Battle of Lake Erie," by William Henry Powell. Credit: U.S. Senate Art Collection, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.; Wikimedia Commons.

This Day in History, 10 September 1813: U.S. Wins Battle of Lake Erie

By Tony Pettinato on September 10, 2013

An article about the War of 1812’s Battle of Lake Erie, when the tiny U.S. Navy beat the mighty British Navy in a hard-fought battle on 10 Sept. 1813... (Read More)

Tag: War of 1812