In what year did the War of 1812 begin?

The War of 1812 began in 1812, when the United States formally declared war on Britain on June 18 of that year.

President James Madison signed Congress’s declaration after years of tension over British interference with American shipping, the impressment of American sailors, trade restrictions, and Britain’s relationships with Native American groups resisting U.S. expansion. The vote was politically divisive: the House approved the declaration 79–49, while the Senate approved it 19–13.

The conflict’s name can cause confusion because major battles occurred in several later years, including the burning of Washington in 1814 and the Battle of New Orleans in January 1815. Nevertheless, the formal beginning was in 1812. Britain’s repeal of some trade restrictions came too late to prevent the declaration.

Peace terms were agreed in the Treaty of Ghent in December 1814, but the war officially ended only after the treaty was ratified by the United States in February 1815. The Battle of New Orleans was fought after the treaty had been signed but before that news arrived.