War of 1812, Part 29: American Prisoners of War

The New Nation
Written By Tom Hand

Incurring the wrath of the Royal Navy during the War of 1812 was a desperate and dangerous business, and, during the war, nearly one-third of all privateers were captured. Besides losing a ship came the cost of losing the men, and by the end of the war, 20,000 Americans, mostly privateersmen, were prisoners of war. Many suffered deplorable conditions being housed on prison ships, while some were transferred to Dartmoor Prison in England and densely packed into solid stone buildings with nothing but a little straw thrown on the floor for their comfort. By the end of 1814, there were over 6,000 Americans at Dartmoor, making it the largest war prison for American captives until World War II.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses the treatment of American prisoners during the War of 1812 and why it still matters today.

Images courtesy of Muskegon Museum of Art, Naval History and Heritage Command, Library of Congress, New York Public Library, Smithsonian Institution, National Portrait Gallery - Smithsonian Institution, Wikimedia. 

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War of 1812, Part 3: Debacle on the River Raisin

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War of 1812, Part 1: A Divided America Goes to War

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Road to War, Part 10: The Battle of Tippecanoe

The last great battle between Indians in the old Northwest Territory and the forces of the United States, and one of the most consequential in our nation's early decades, was the Battle of Tippecanoe, fought on November 7, 1811, between Shawnee, Potawatomi, and Kickapoo warriors and American troops led by General William Henry Harrison, the Governor of the Indiana Territory.

Tom Hand
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War of 1812, Part 28: Privateers Take on the British