Very good summary of the war of 1812 Billie. I did not learn that America had actually declared war on England until I discovered the facts in a university history class. So in high school it assumed without saying that England had declared war on America. So much to say about high school history.....and who was the person who first discovered America. Don -------Original Message------- From: Billie Walsh Date: 6/17/2012 3:10:09 PM To: Trails To The Past Subject: [TTTP] War of 1812 Here's something that might be of interest. By Michael J. Leclerc Monday, June 18, marks the two-hundredth anniversary of the start of the War of 1812. The bicentennial is being marked with much fanfare in Washington and elsewhere around the country. The War of 1812 was the first time the United States officially declared War (although the Quasi-War with France and the first Barbary War Preceded it, there were no official declarations of war in those Instances). The War of 1812 was vehemently opposed by the New England States, who feared the damage that would come to their merchant fleets. Indeed, the War of 1812 had more official political opposition than any Other war through the end of the twentieth, including the Vietnam War. Despite this, and the fact that our national anthem was written at the Battle of Baltimore near the end of the war, Americans don’t know much About it. One of the major problems leading to the war was Britain’s attacks on U.S. Ships. The Royal Navy would board American ships, ostensibly Looking for escaped British sailors. In reality, they would look for any Able seaman and impress him into the Royal Navy. Lists of these Impressed seamen can be found at NARA. Because of this problem, Congress Approved the issuing of Seamen’s Protection Certificates, which can also Be helpful. The U.S. Navy played a key role in the War of 1812. Because of this, Many of the males who served during the war were younger. Anyone who has Visited U.S.S. Constitution in Boston knows that ships of that era had Small lower decks. Boys were able to scramble around these smaller Spaces more quickly than grown adults. Keep this in mind as you examine Your family for people who might have served during the war. Males Ranging in age from 12 to their 20s are good candidates to have served. Many of the veterans received bounty land. Until 1842, most of this land Was within the present-day boundaries of Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. If you have ancestors who appeared in those areas before 1850, Check to see if they received bounty land. The land grants may give you Further clues as to where your ancestor originally came from. The National Archives has a page dedicated to resources to help you Research your War of 1812 ancestors. For those of you who can get to Boston, I strongly recommend a visit to U.S.S. Constitution to see what Life was like for her crew during the war. The oldest commissioned Warship in existence, she celebrates her 215th anniversary in 2013. Each Year on July 4th, she takes a cruise through Boston harbor. A contest is Held each year for the public to ride during the turnaround cruise (called that because the ship returns to her berth in the opposite Position from when she started so that she will weather evenly on both Sides). -- “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain The people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the Government lest it come to dominate our lives and interests”. - Patrick Henry - _ _... ..._ _ _._ ._ ..... ._.. ... .._ ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to TTTP-request@rootsweb com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

I'm fairly sure that if you had asked the British of the day they would say that "we" had provoked the war. They were, after all, only looking for their own deserters. All things are relative. England was still smarting from our revolution. Any excuse would do. Histories do not always tell it all. Depends on how the writer wants to slant it. Who "discovered" America kind of depends. Who was the first European [ if you consider Scandinavia a part of Europe] would probably be Leif Ericson. If you don't there's the Irish priest, I can't remember his name. Then you might consider Columbus, although he didn't really. He mostly discovered the islands of the Caribbean. There are some that say Europeans [ Brits, Celts ] made the voyage during the ice age by following the ice cap across the north Atlantic. Speculation runs that some of the fairer skinned Native Americans along the east coast are their descendent's. The first one period would be some unknown Siberian. then you have th Polynesians that most likely reached South America, and some say the region around Baja/southern California. THEN, you have some that speculate that there was a Chinese landing in southern California. So, who DID "discover" America? On 06/17/2012 05:22 PM, donkelly wrote: > Very good summary of the war of 1812 Billie. I did not learn that America > had actually declared war on England until I discovered the facts in a > university history class. > So in high school it assumed without saying that England had declared war on > America. So much to say about high school history.....and who was the person > who first discovered America. > > Don > -- “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government lest it come to dominate our lives and interests”. - Patrick Henry - _ _... ..._ _ _._ ._ ..... ._.. ... .._