Fearing the expansionist ideals of Napoleon Bonaparte, Britain declared war on France in 1803, beginning the decade-long Napoleonic Wars. British troops fought on land and on sea, as they attempted to curtail French expansion in Europe and abroad. The Napoleonic Wars were costly in terms of manpower, with over 188,000 casualties, and monetary funds, as Napoleon established the Continental System throughout Europe, closing the continent to British goods.

In order to remain in the fight, Britain instituted impressment and the Order of Councils. Impressment was the practice of invading American merchant ships and recruiting sailors by force to serve in the Royal Navy. Many of those impressed were believed to be British deserters. The Order of Councils established a blockade around France, which prevented the importation of American goods. These practices allowed Britain to supplement its military and limit France’s access to outside resources, which Britain believed would put a strain on the French Empire. Impressment and the Order of Councils infuriated Americans, and tensions in the US began to rise.

In early 1812, Britain attempted to ease the tensions. Captains received orders to take extra care when searching American ships to ensure that no sailors were wrongly impressed into the navy. Additionally, Parliament revoked the Order of Councils and reopened Europe to American trade. These measures arrived too late, and on 18 June, 1812, Britain received the US Declaration of War, forcing the thinly-stretched military to spread even further to combat the American attacks in the Northwest Territory around the Great Lakes, the northeast, and the Spanish territories in the South.

Britain allied with Native American forces and relied heavily on soldiers from the British territory of Canada throughout the war. The Indian Confederation, under Shawnee war chief Tecumseh, captured the Michigan Territory, and combined forces held off an American invasion of Canada in November of 1812. These victories were not enough however, and in 1813, American troops invaded and burned the provincial capital of York. Tecumseh died in October of that same year, losing his life in the Battle of the Thames.

As the tides of war changed in Europe, Britain turned more of its attention to the Americas, sending ships to blockade Philadelphia and New York City. When Napoleon abdicated in early 1814, Britain looked to end the war in America quickly. British troops held off another American invasion of Canada near Niagara Falls, and in August 1814, British forces captured the White House and burned it down. Despite the losses, the US did not surrender and inflicted defeat on British forces at Lake Champlain in upstate New York.

Weary of the back and forth and in need of more troops in Europe, where Napoleon had retaken power, Britain pushed for peace negotiations. Both sides met in Ghent, where they formalised and signed the Treaty of Ghent on 24 December, 1814, that called for an end to hostilities and resulted in no gains or losses for either side. Britain was then free to turn its full focus back on Europe and Napoleon, who would suffer his final defeat just six months later at the Battle of Waterloo.

Roughly 8,600 soldiers from Great Britain and the territory of Canada died in the War of 1812. Not everyone was eligible for a pension for their service, but some soldiers would do on to claim a pension in the UK and Ireland.

UK, The Military General Service Medal Roll, 1793-1847

Records in this collection are likely to include the following

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