III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 513 

Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, which was fought 

between the United States of America and Great Britain beginning 

on June 18, 1812, in response to British violations of neutral rights 

of the United States, seizure of ships of the United States, restriction 

of trade between the United States and other countries, and the impressment of sailors of the United States into the Royal Navy. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 28, 2012 

Mrs. GILLIBRAND submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, 

which was fought between the United States of America 

and Great Britain beginning on June 18, 1812, in response to British violations of neutral rights of the 

United States, seizure of ships of the United States, 

restriction of trade between the United States and other 

countries, and the impressment of sailors of the United 

States into the Royal Navy. 

Whereas in standing up to the British, and fighting the conquerors of Napoleon to a draw, the War of 1812 revived 

flagging nationalism, cleared the way for expanded overseas trade, and ended an era of introversion by the 

United States; 


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•SRES 513 IS 

Whereas most of the public buildings of Washington, DC, 

were set alight, including the White House and the Capitol; 

Whereas Sackets Harbor, New York, on the eastern shore of 

Lake Ontario, was the site of more naval construction 

during the war than anywhere else; 

Whereas the war came to the State of New York in late December 1813 when the village of Black Rock, located 2 

miles below Buffalo on the front lines of the war, was 

torched by the British and only 1 house was spared; 

Whereas Buffalo, of which it is said that ‘‘no other town in 

the United States saw more of the war’’, came under regular siege from the British and was ultimately burned despite assurances that private property would be spared; 

Whereas the British capture of Fort Niagara, in a surprise 

night offensive on December 18, 1813, provided control 

over the mouth of the Niagara River to the British as 

well as the launching pad for its attacks on Buffalo and 

Black Rock; 

Whereas the town of Lewiston, New York, which served as 

the headquarters for the United States Army during its 

attack across the river at Queenston, Ontario, was the 

target of British retaliation in December 1813, resulting 

in the deaths of many civilians and the destruction of all 

buildings; 

Whereas despite being outnumbered 30 to 1, members of the 

Tuscarora Nation offered the first resistance the British 

and Mohawk allies had seen, saving the lives of dozens 

of Lewiston citizens by allowing them to escape the attack; 


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Whereas Jacob Brown, a pioneer settler in the Black River 

country of upstate New York and a general in the New 

York Militia, led the successful defense of Fort Erie in 

the late summer of 1814, which lifted the spirits of the 

people of the United States at an important time and resulted in Brown emerging from the war a national hero; 

Whereas the British plan to invade from the North, in a 

manner similar to that of General John Burgoyne in 

1777, was halted at Plattsburgh, New York, in September 1814; 

Whereas the victory at Plattsburgh shattered any hopes of 

British gains in the North, helped maintain national morale after Washington was sacked in that dark summer 

of 1814, and was described by Winston Churchill as the 

‘‘most decisive engagement of the war’’; 

Whereas from the death and destruction of the War of 1812 

there was born a spirit of cooperation and a vision of 

peace between the United States and Canada; 

Whereas the unparalleled cooperation, prosperity, and friendship that developed between the United States and Canada since the War of 1812 find the deepest roots and 

daily expressions in the border communities across upstate New York, which was the front line of the War of 

1812; 

Whereas the bicentennial of the War of 1812 offers an exceptional opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the true 

and lasting legacy of 200 years of peace between the 

United States and Canada; and 

Whereas through the turmoil of war, a young nation endured 

and saw its banner continue to wave over a land free and 

brave: Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the 200th anni2 versary of the War of 1812. 

Æ 


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