Oct 30, 1812 –

James Madison (1751-1836) was a founding father of the United States and the fourth American president, serving in office from 1809 to 1817. During his presidency, Madison led the U.S. into the controversial War of 1812 (1812-15) against Great Britain.

Despite Clinton’s success at attracting Federalist support, Madison was re-elected with 50.4 percent of the popular vote to his opponent’s 47.6%, making the 1812 election the closest election up to that point in the popular vote.

On June 1, 1812 President James Madison sent his war message to Congress. That message outlined what he believed to be America’s chief diplomatic grievances with Britain: impressment, the British Orders in Council, and Britain’s incitement of Indian warfare on America’s western frontier.

The war was fought for a variety of reasons but, much like the American Revolution, it was triggered by British interference in American trade. The war has since been nicknamed “Mr. Madison’s War” because it was the sitting president at the time, James Madison, who urged Congress to declare war on Britain in 1812.

The results of the War of 1812, which was fought between the United Kingdom and the United States from 1812 to 1815, included no immediate boundary changes. The main result of the War of 1812 has been two centuries of peace between both countries.

It’s often called “the forgotten war” because it isn’t studied much in school. But the War of 1812 played a big role in helping the United States grow up and become more than just a collection of states. The United States wanted to sell its goods to both countries, but each side wanted to stop the trade with the other.

The American Revolutionary War – see Invasion of Canada (1775) The War of 1812.